Types of sandalwood
There are two types of sandalwood, they are;
- White Sandalwood: Scientific name of White Sandalwood is Santalum album.
- Red Sandalwood: Scientific name of Red Sandalwood is Pterocarpus santalinus. It is a small tree that grows to 5-8 meters in height and has a dark grayish bark and Wood is extremely hard
Where is it found?
- White Sandalwood: It is found in southern India and Southeast Asia, mostly in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
- Red Sandalwood: It is found in southern parts of the Eastern Ghats in India, mainly in forest tract of Andhra Pradesh
The legal status of Red sandalwood
- CITES: Appendix II
- Its IUCN Red List status is “Near Threatened.”
The legal status of White sandalwood
- IUCN status is vulnerable
Why is there a demand for red sandalwood?
It is in demand for the following reasons;
- It has good market value because of the rich red colour of its wood.
- It is used for blood purification
- It is helpful in treating digestive tract problems and fluid retention.
- It has high demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan, for use in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments
- The rare “wavy” grain variant is highly valued in Japan for its acoustic properties and is used to make musical instruments.
- The timber is also exploited for the extraction of santalin (a red pigment used as dye and colorant in food), medicine and cosmetics
Source: Krishi Jagaran
