Pterocarpus

Pterocarpus
Pterocarpus santalinus seed pods
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Dalbergieae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Jacq. (1763), nom. cons.
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Amphymenium Kunth (1824)
  • Ancylocalyx Tul. (1843)
  • Echinodiscus Benth. (1837)
  • Etaballia Benth. (1840)
  • Griselinia Scop. (1777), nom. superfl.
  • Lingoum Adans. (1763), nom. superfl.
  • Malaparius Rumph. ex Bosc (1803)
  • Moutouchi Aubl. (1775)
  • Nephraea Hassk. (1844)
  • Nephrea Noronha (1790), nom. nud.
  • Phellocarpus Benth. (1837)
  • Pterocarpos St.-Lag. (1880)
  • Pterocarpus L. (1754), nom. rej.
  • Weinreichia Rchb. (1828)
Wood of P. officinalis

Pterocarpus is a pantropical tree genus in the Fabaceae family. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae, and was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Pterocarpus clade within the Dalbergieae.[2][3] Most species of Pterocarpus yield valuable timber traded as padauk (or padouk), usually pronounced /pəˈduːk/ or /ˈpædˌoʊk/;[4] other common names are mukwa or narra.

The west African species may be traded as African rosewood.[5] P. santalinus also yields the most precious red sandalwood in China known as Zitan.[6][7] The wood from the narra tree (P. indicus) and the Burmese padauk tree (P. macrocarpus) is marketed as amboyna when it has grown in the burl form.[8] The scientific name is Latinized Ancient Greek and means "wing fruit", referring to the unusual shape of the seed pods in this genus.

  1. ^ Pterocarpus Jacq. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lavin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cardoso was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "African Padauk | The Wood Database (Hardwood)". www.wood-database.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  5. ^ The Rosewood Trade: An Illicit Trail from Forest to Furniture Authors: Sandy Ong / Andy Carver, Date: 29 January 2019, URL: https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-rosewood-trade-the-illicit-trail-from-forest-to-furniture (Yale School of Environment)
  6. ^ "Zitan | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)". www.wood-database.com. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Chinese National Standard for Rosewood Furniture - QB/T 2385-2008" (PDF).
  8. ^ Meier E. "The Wood Database".