''Biancaea sappan'' is a species of
flowering
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
in the
legume family,
Fabaceae, that is native to tropical Asia. Common names in English include sappanwood and Indian redwood.
Sappanwood is related to
brazilwood (''Paubrasilia echinata''), and was originally called "brezel wood" in Europe.
Biencaea sappan can be infected by twig dieback (''
Lasiodiplodia theobromae
''Lasiodiplodia theobromae'' is a plant pathogen with a very wide host range. It causes rotting and dieback in most species it infects. It is a common post harvest fungus disease of citrus known as stem-end rot. It is a cause of bot canker of g ...
'').
This plant has many uses. It has
antibacterial
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...
and
anticoagulant properties. It also produces a valuable reddish
dye called
brazilin, used for dyeing fabric as well as making red paints and inks. Slivers of heartwood are used for making herbal drinking water in various regions, such as
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and Central Java, where it is usually mixed with
ginger,
cinnamon, and
cloves. The heartwood also contains
juglone
Juglone, also called 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione (IUPAC) is an organic compound with the molecular formula C10H6O3. In the food industry, juglone is also known as C.I. Natural Brown 7 and C.I. 75500. It is insoluble in benzene but soluble i ...
(5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), which has antimicrobial activity.
Homoisoflavonoids (
sappanol
Sappanol is a 3,4-dihydroxyhomoisoflavan, a type of homoisoflavonoid, that can be found in ''Caesalpinia sappan
''Biancaea sappan'' is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is native to tropical Asia. Common names in ...
, episappanol, 3'-deoxysappanol, 3'-O-methylsappanol, 3'-O-methylepisappanol and
sappanone A
Sappanone A is a homoisoflavanone that can be found in ''Caesalpinia sappan
''Biancaea sappan'' is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is native to tropical Asia. Common names in English include sappanwood and India ...
) can also be found in ''B. sappan''.
The wood is somewhat lighter in color than brazilwood and other related trees. Sappanwood was a major trade good during the 17th century, when it was exported from
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
n nations (especially
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
) aboard
red seal ships
were Japanese armed merchant sailing ships bound for Southeast Asian ports with red-sealed letters patent issued by the early Tokugawa shogunate in the first half of the 17th century. Between 1600 and 1635, more than 350 Japanese ships went ...
to
Japan.
Gallery
File:Biancaea sappan leaves flower buds.jpg, Leaves, flower buds
File:Biancaea sappan fruits.jpg, Fruits
File:Caesalpinia sappan2.jpg, Bark
File:Caesalpinia sappan (sappanwood).jpg, Plantlings
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Caesalpinieae
Flora of tropical Asia
Trees of China
Least concern plants
Least concern biota of Asia
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Plant dyes
{{Caesalpinioideae-stub