Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

89. Pterocarpus, India padauk
LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
PEA SUBFAMILY (LOTOIDEAE; FABACEAE)
An introduced handsome ornamental, shade,
and timber tree, distinguished by: (1) a broad
crown of long drooping branches, some nearly
touching the ground ; (2) reddish latex sparingly
produced in the cut bark ; (3) pinnate leaves alternate
in 2 rows with usually 7-11 ovate, thin, shiny,
green to yellow-green alternate leaflets, longpointed
at apex; (4) many showy, yellow peashaped
flo~vers nearly % inch long, produced in
lateral clusters; and (5) nearly round brown pod
1%-1% inches in diameter, flattened and bordered
by a broad thin wing, stalked at base and with
pointed style at 1 side.
A spreading medium-sized tree 50 feet high and
1 foot in trunk diameter, or larger. Essentially
evergreen but nearly leafless for a short period in
spring when old leaves are falling and new leaves
form~ng. The bark is light brown and finely fissured.
Inner bark is light brown and reddish
brown streaked astrin~ent, and ijelding a small
amount of red hex, sticky and itter, when cut.
Twigs are green when young, becoming light
brown, hairless except at apex.
The slightly drooping lmves about 9-16 inches
long have $1. slender green axis enlarged at base,
and the leaflets have stalks about 1/4 inch long. A
few short leaves have only 3-5 leaflets. Leaflet
blades are 21/24 inches long and 1%-2% .inches
wide, the edges not toothed, turned up a little at
midrib, shiny green to yellow green above and dull
green beneath.
nt flowers are borne on slender green
stalks The in f*r c usters (racemes and panicles) 4-7 inches
long. The slightly irregular bell-shaped pen
calyx is S/16 inch long, pointed at bnse and unequally
5-toothed at apex, and minutely hairy ; the
5 yellow petals 5/S-3/q inch or less in length are
stalked at be, becoming crinkled, the rounded
standard 5/8 inch wide and rolled bnckward, 2
wings, and 2 smaller paler keel petals barely
united on sides; 10 stamens about S/g inch long,
Pterocarpue indicus Willd.*
united by the whitish filaments into 2 groups of 5
each; and green hairy pistil 7/16 inch long, consisting
of strtlked narrow ovary and tapering style.
The winged pods have a roughened wrinkled enlargement
near the center enclosing 1 or 2 small
seeds but do not split open. Flowering in June
and July and maturing fruits in summer to September.
The reddish hard wood is an excellent timber in
southern Asia, known as padauk or Burma-rosewood.
It is listed among the most valuable timben
in the Philippines, where it is called nam. Uses
include construction, furniture, musical instruments,
and cart wheels.
Lignum nephriticum (Latin for kidneywood)
\\.as the wood of this Philippine species and of kidneymood
(Eysenha?*dtz'a polystmhya (Ortee)
Sarg.) from Mexico. It was known throughout
Europe from the 16th to early 18th centuries for
its reputed diuretic properties but is no longer
employed in medicine. However, infusions of the
wood are fluorescent, and this odd response to light
may have been associated with remedies. Cups
made from the wood and chips of wood impart to
water a beautiful blue and yellow color, which
changes in light and shadow.
Classed among the finest tropical shade trees,
this species is occasionally planted in Puerto Rico
for shade and ornament. Introduced by the
UniMd States Forest Service in 1Q24, it is still
limited to a few streets and patios, chiefly in the
metropolitan areas. A honey plant.
RANGE.-Philippines to Java, Sumatra, southern
China, Burma, and Andaman Isands of India
and introduced in southern India. Planted elsewhere
in the 6ropics for shade, such as in southern
Floridn, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad.
OTHER
padauk, Burma-
COMBION NAJIES.--I~~~~~
coast prrdauk, Rurma-rosewood (English) ; rose-
wood (Trinidad).