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Red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus)

Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus L.f.; erra chandanam in Telugu) is a slow-growing leguminous timber tree endemic to the Seshachalam and Veligonda hills of the Southern Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh.

Key characteristics

  • Scientific Name: Pterocarpus santalinus L.f., Fabaceae
  • Endemic Range: Southern Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh (Seshachalam)
  • Conservation Status: Near Threatened (IUCN); CITES Appendix II
  • Soil Climate: red gravelly loams; 35-45 degC; 800-1000 mm rainfall

Cultivation and adoption

Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and regulated under CITES Appendix II, it is now legally cultivable on private agricultural land in AP, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka with state forest-department permits. Trees prefer 35-45 degC, 800-1000 mm rainfall and gravelly red-loamy soils; A-grade wavy-grain timber comes from shale subsoils at ~750 m elevation in semi-arid conditions.

References

  1. Pterocarpus santalinus - IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/pdf/187622484
  2. Red sandalwood biology and propagation - Springer. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11676-018-0714-6