Pterocarpus Indica
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''Pterocarpus indicus'' (commonly known as Amboyna wood, Malay padauk, Papua New Guinea rosewood, Philippine mahogany, Andaman redwood, Burmese rosewood, narra and asana in the Philippines, angsana, or Pashu padauk) is a species of '' Pterocarpus'' native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.International Legume Database & Information Service
''Pterocarpus indicus''
''Pterocarpus indicus'' was one of two species (the other being ''
Eysenhardtia polystachya ''Eysenhardtia polystachya'', the kidneywood, is a tree from Mexico, growing along forest edges and water courses at elevations of 150–3000 m. Previously it was used as a source of lignum nephriticum. References * polystachya ...
'') used as a source for the 16th- to 18th-century traditional diuretic known as ''
lignum nephriticum ''Lignum nephriticum'' (Latin for "kidney wood") is a traditional diuretic that was derived from the wood of two tree species, the narra (''Pterocarpus indicus'') and the Mexican kidneywood (''Eysenhardtia polystachya''). The wood is capable of tu ...
''. Many populations of ''Pterocarpus indicus'' are seriously threatened. It is extinct in Vietnam and possibly in Sri Lanka and Peninsular Malaysia. It was declared the national tree of the Philippines in 1934 by
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Frank Murphy of the
Insular Government of the Philippine Islands The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, 221 U.S. 623, 1911. The Admini ...
through Proclamation No. 652.


Description

It is a large deciduous tree growing to 30–40 m tall, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter. The
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are 12–22 cm long, pinnate, with 5–11 leaflets, the girth is 12–34 m wide. The flowers are produced in
panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...
s 6–13 cm long containing a few to numerous flowers; flowering is from February to May in the Philippines, Borneo and the Malay peninsula. They are slightly fragrant and have yellow or orange-yellow petals. The fruit is a semiorbicular
pod Pod or POD may refer to: Biology * Pod (fruit), a type of fruit of a flowering plant * Husk or pod of a legume * Pod of whales or other marine mammals * "-pod", a suffix meaning "foot" used in taxonomy Electronics and computing * Proper ort ...
2–3 cm diameter, surrounded by a flat 4–6 cm diameter membranaceous wing (wing-like structure) which aids dispersal by the wind. It contains one or two seeds, and does not split open at maturity; it ripens within 4–6 years, and becomes purple when dry. The central part of the pod can be smooth (f. ''indica''), bristly (f. ''echinatus'' (Pers.) Rojo) or intermediate.Danida Seed Leaflet
''Pterocarpus indicus'' (pdf file)
Purdue University New Crops
''Pterocarpus indicus''
Most ''Pterocarpus'' species prefer seasonal weather but ''P. indicus'' prefer
rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
s. Note: '' Pterocarpus macrocarpus'', a similar species native to Burma, is referred to as "Rosewood" throughout South East Asia. ''P. macrocarpus'' is usually harder than ''P. indicus''. When in burl form both are referred to as Amboyna Burl.


Uses

The hardwood, which is purplish, is termite-resistant and rose-scented. The wood known in Indonesia as ''amboyna'' is the burl of the tree, named after
Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a co ...
, where much of this material was originally found. Often amboyna is finely sliced to produce an extremely decorative veneer, used for decoration and in making of furniture and keys on a marimba. It is a premium timber species suitable for high grade furniture, lumber and plywood for light construction purposes. It is also used for cartwheels, wood carving and musical instruments. The flower is used as a honey source while leaf infusions are used as shampoos. Both flowers and leaves were said to be eaten. The leaves are supposedly good for waxing and polishing brass and copper. It is also a source of kino or resin. The leaves of narra are also used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health problems. Narra leaves contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that provide health benefits to humans, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic benefits. Flavonoids in narra leaves may be capable of preventing damage to your kidneys. In folk medicine, it is used to combat tumors. This property might be due to an acidic
polypeptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A p ...
found in its leaves that inhibited growth of
Ehrlich ascites carcinoma Ehrlich-Lettre ascites carcinoma (EAC) is also known as Ehrlich cell. It was originally established as an ascites tumor in mice. Ehrlich cell The tumor was cultured ''in vivo'', which became known as the Ehrlich cell. After 1948 Ehrlich cultures ...
cells by disruption of cell and nuclear membranes. It was also one of the sources of ''
lignum nephriticum ''Lignum nephriticum'' (Latin for "kidney wood") is a traditional diuretic that was derived from the wood of two tree species, the narra (''Pterocarpus indicus'') and the Mexican kidneywood (''Eysenhardtia polystachya''). The wood is capable of tu ...
'', a diuretic in Europe during the 16th to 18th centuries. Its reputation is due to its wood infusions, which are fluorescent. The tree is recommended as an
ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
for avenues and is sometimes planted in Puerto Rico as a shade and ornament. The tall, dome-shaped crown, with long, drooping branches is very attractive and the flowers are spectacular in areas with a dry season. It is very easily propagated from seed or large stem cuttings, but suffers from disease problems. It is widely planted as a roadside, park, and
parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...
tree. In agroforestry, it maintains ecosystem fertility and soil stability. Narra is a leguminous plant that is capable of fixing nitrogen by forming endosymbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that lives in its root nodules. Leguminous plants, such as narra, are responsible for transforming nitrogen into a usable form. In the Philippines, a permit is required to cut the narra (cf.
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
and Cebuano ''nára'', Maranao ''nara''), but nevertheless the popular sturdy wood is widely used for construction and furniture projects.


Symbolism

It is the national tree of the Philippines, as well as the provincial tree of Chonburi and Phuket in Thailand.


References


External links


''Pterocarpus indicus'' (narra)
Images and references – (2006) 17p *PIER species info

{{Taxonbar, from=Q979014 indicus Trees of China Trees of Taiwan Flora of tropical Asia National symbols of the Philippines Vulnerable plants