''Pterocarpus indicus'' (commonly known as Amboyna wood, Malay padauk, Papua New Guinea rosewood, Philippine mahogany, Andaman redwood, Burmese rosewood, narra
(from
Tagalog) and asana in the Philippines, angsana, or Pashu padauk) is a species of ''
Pterocarpus'' of the Sweet Pea Family (
Papilionaceae) native to southeastern Asia, northern
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China,
East Timor
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...
, the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
, Thailand, and Vietnam.
''Pterocarpus indicus'' was one of two species (the other being ''
Eysenhardtia polystachya'') used as a source for the 16th- to 18th-century traditional
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...
known as ''
lignum nephriticum''.
Many populations of ''Pterocarpus indicus'' are seriously threatened. It is extinct in Vietnam and possibly in Sri Lanka and Peninsular Malaysia.
It was declared the national tree of the Philippines in 1934 by
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Frank Murphy of the
Insular Government of the Philippine Islands through Proclamation No. 652.
Description

It is a large
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
tree growing to 30–40 m tall, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter. The
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are 12–22 cm long, pinnate, with 5–11 leaflets, the girth is 12–34 m wide. Most ''Pterocarpus'' species prefer seasonal weather but ''P. indicus'' prefer
rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...
s.
The
flower
Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s are produced in
panicle
In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...
s 6–13 cm long containing a few to numerous flowers; flowering is from February to May in the Philippines, Borneo and the Malay peninsula. They are slightly fragrant and have yellow or orange-yellow petals. The
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
is a semiorbicular
pod 2–3 cm diameter, surrounded by a flat 4–6 cm diameter membranaceous wing (wing-like structure) which aids dispersal by the wind. It contains one or two
seed
In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
s, and does not split open at maturity; it ripens within 4–6 years, and becomes purple when dry. The central part of the pod can be smooth (f. ''indica''), bristly (f. ''echinatus'' (Pers.) Rojo) or intermediate.
[Danida Seed Leaflet]
''Pterocarpus indicus'' (pdf file)
Purdue University
Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
New Crops
''Pterocarpus indicus''
Note: ''
Pterocarpus macrocarpus'', a similar species native to
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, is referred to as "Rosewood" throughout South East Asia. ''P. macrocarpus'' is usually harder than ''P. indicus''. When in burl form both are referred to as Amboyna Burl.
Uses
The hardwood, which is purplish, is
termite
Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...
-resistant and rose-scented. The wood known in Indonesia as ''amboyna'' is the
burl of the tree, named after
Ambon, where much of this material was originally found. Often amboyna is finely sliced to produce an extremely decorative veneer, used for decoration and in making of furniture and keys on a
marimba
The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
.
It is a premium timber species suitable for high grade furniture, lumber and plywood for light construction purposes. It is also used for cartwheels, wood carving and musical instruments.
The flower is used as a honey source while leaf infusions are used as shampoos. Both flowers and leaves were said to be eaten. The leaves are supposedly good for waxing and polishing brass and copper. It is also a source of kino or
resin
A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...
.
The leaves of narra are also used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health problems. Narra leaves contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that provide health benefits to humans, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic benefits. Flavonoids in narra leaves may be capable of preventing damage to your kidneys.
In folk medicine, it is used to combat tumors.
This property might be due to an acidic
polypeptide
Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Polypeptides that have a molecular mass of 10,000 Da or more are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty ...
found in its leaves that inhibited growth of
Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells by disruption of cell and nuclear membranes. It was also one of the sources of ''
lignum nephriticum'', a
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...
in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
during the 16th to 18th centuries. Its reputation is due to its wood infusions, which are
fluorescent.
The tree is recommended as an
ornamental tree for
avenues and is sometimes planted in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
as a shade and ornament. The tall, dome-shaped crown, with long, drooping branches is very attractive and the flowers are spectacular in areas with a dry season. It is very easily propagated from seed or large stem cuttings, but suffers from disease problems. It is widely planted as a roadside, park, and
parking lot tree.
In agroforestry, it maintains ecosystem fertility and soil stability. Narra is a leguminous plant that is capable of fixing nitrogen by forming endosymbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that lives in its root nodules. Nodulating leguminous plants, such as narra, are responsible for transforming atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form.
In the Philippines, a permit is required to cut the Narra tree (cf.
Tagalog and
Cebuano ''Nára'',
Maranao ''Nara''), but nevertheless the popular sturdy wood is widely used for construction and furniture projects.
In Singapore, the ease to propagate the tree made it a favourite for the urban planners in Singapore to plant new trees via monoculture in a campaign to transform the rapidly urbaning city into a green city in between 1969 and 1982.
In 1985, 1,400 trees died due to "Angsana Wilt Disease," and were cut down.
It was found that the
fusarium oxysporum fungi species was the cause of the disease.
The fungus was carried by
ambrosia beetles boring into the trees. The infection was eventually controlled by a combination of monitoring, removal of lightning-damaged trees, and replanting with identified disease-resistant varieties.
Symbolism
It is the
national tree of the Philippines,
as well as the provincial tree of
Chonburi
Chonburi (, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and, as part of the district Mueang Chonburi District, Mueang Chonburi, the List of municipalities in Thailand, seventh-largest city in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Ba ...
and
Phuket
Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
in Thailand.
Pterocarpus indicus, Burmese rose wood tree in the Penang Botanic Garden.jpg, ''Pterocarpus indicus'', Burmese rose wood tree in the Penang Botanic Garden
Puno ng Narra sa Calauit, Busuanga.jpg, ''Pterocarpus indicus'' in Calauit Island
References
External links
''Pterocarpus indicus'' (narra) Images and references – (2006) 17p
*PIER species info
{{Taxonbar, from=Q979014
indicus
Trees of China
Flora of Eastern Asia
Flora of tropical Asia
Flora of the Pacific
National symbols of the Philippines