"Red Sandalwood" redirects here. See als Algum.

Pterocarpus santalinus (Red Sanders or Red Sandalwood; Rakta chandana) is a species of Pterocarpus native to India.^[1] It is most commonly found in south and southwestern India, notably in the state of Karnataka.^[2]

in Talakona forest, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Uses

The wood is valued in particulaly inChina during the Ming and Quing periods, referred to in Chinese as zitan (??) and spelt tzu-t'an by earlier western authors such Gustav Ecke, who introduced classical Chinese furnitutre to the west .^[2] It has been one of the most prized woods for millenia .King Solomon was given tribute logs of Almug in Sanskrit valgu, valgum by the Queen of Sheba^[6] Due to its slow growth and rarity, furniture made from zitan is difficult to find and can be expensive ^[6]. Between the 17th and 19th centuries in China the rarity of this wood led to the reservation of zitan furniture for the Qing dynasty imperial household. Chandan the Indian word for Red Sandalwood which is Tzu-t?an are linked by entomology. The word Tan in Chinese is a perfect homonym of ?tan? meaning cinnabar, vermillion and the cognition is suggested by the interchange of chan for oriflamme the vermilion ensign of the ancients. Chinese traders would have been familiar with Chandan. Tzu-t?an then is the ancient sino interpretation for the Indian word Chandan for red sandalwood.

The other form of zitan is from the species Dalbergia luovelii, Dalbergia maritima, and Dalbergia normandi, all similar species named in trade as bois de rose or violet rosewood which when cut are bright crimson purple changing to dark purple again. It has a fragrant scent when worked.^[2]

References

http://www.jstor.org/pss/594922 http://www.tzutan.com/

fr:Pterocarpus santalinus ru:?????????? ?????? grading of red sanders It is observed that the redsanders grown on the shale type of subsoil, at an altitude of 750 meters above mean sae level and in semi arid climatic conditions gives a distinctive wavy grain margin and the wood pieces with the wavy grain margin are graded as "A"grade. red sanders with wavy grain margin fetch higher price than the non wavy wood.

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