Pterocarpus macrocarpus

Pterocarpus macrocarpus
Burma Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Dalbergieae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Species: P. macrocarpus
Binomial name
Pterocarpus macrocarpus
Kurz
Synonyms
  • Lingoum macrocarpum (Kurz) O.Ktze.
  • Lingoum cambodianum Pierre
  • Lingoum glaucinum Pierre
  • Lingoum gracile Pierre
  • Lingoum oblongum Pierre
  • Lingoum parvifolium Pierre
  • Lingoum pedatum Pierre
  • Pterocarpus cambodianus Pierre var. calcicolus Craib

Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Burma Padauk) is a species of Pterocarpus native to southeastern Asia in northeastern India, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.[1][2][3]

It is a medium-sized tree growing to 10–30 m (rarely to 39 m) tall, with a trunk up to 1.7 m diameter; it is dry season-deciduous. The bark is flaky, grey-brown; if cut, it secretes a red gum. The leaves are 20–35 cm long, pinnate, with 9–11 leaflets. The flowers are yellow, produced in racemes 5–9 cm long. The fruit is a pod surrounded by a round wing 4.5–7 cm diameter, containing two or three seeds.[2][3]

The wood is durable and resistant to termites; it is important, used for furniture, construction timber, cart wheels, tool handles, and posts[3]; though not a true rosewood it is sometimes traded as such.

Medicine

Constituents of Pterocarpus marsupium have been reported to have beneficial properties for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.[4]

References

  1. ^ International Legume Database & Information Service: Pterocarpus macrocarpus
  2. ^ a b Danida Seed Leaflet: Pterocarpus macrocarpus (pdf file)
  3. ^ a b c International Institute of Tropical Forestry: Pterocarpus macrocarpus (pdf file)
  4. ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16719780 Antidiabetic agents from medicinal plants