Red-Beads Tree

Overview

The species is endemic to tropical South-East China, India, and Myanmar. As ornamental plants, A. pavonina is widely distributed and has been introduced throughout the humid tropics. It has become naturalised in Malaysia, western and eastern Africa and most island nations of both the Pacific and the Caribbean. 

Vernacular Names

Coralwood (English), Kitoke Laut (Sundanese-Indonesian), Saga Telik, Segawe Sabrang (Javanese-Indonesian), Mai-chek (Burmese), Hai hong dou (Chinese), Bois de condori (French), Chandan (India), Madatiya (Sri Lanka), Pai (Thai), Trachquach (Vietnamese). 

Agroecology

Adenanthera pavonina grows best in wet environments, mainly in tropical areas with mean annual rainfall ranging from 3,000 mm to 5,000 mm and mean annual temperatures around 25-30 °C, with the mean maximum of the hottest month being 28-35 °C and the mean minimum of the coolest month being 14-22 °C. It is not at all frost tolerant. This species is adapted to grow on avariety of soils from deep, well-drained to shallow and rocky soils. However, it prefers neutral toslightly acidic soils. 

Morphology

• Trunks - diameters up to 45 cm.
• Leaves - are bipinnate up to 24 cm long with2–6 opposite pairs of pinnae, each having 8–21small leaflets on short stalks.
• Flowers - small, pedicellate, creamy-yellow, fragrant and borne in narrow spike-like racemes, 12–15 cm long, at branch ends.
• Seeds - 7.5–9.0 mm in diameter, arelenticular, biconvex, hard, smooth and glossy red. 

Cultivation

• Cultivated by seeds. Seeds are probably eaten and dispersed by birds.
• Propagation from large cuttings is reported in India. 

Chemical Constituents

Cardiac glycosides, tannins, saponins, essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, phytosterols, phenolics, phlobatanins, carbohydrates, saponins, fixed oil and fats.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Roots are used as an emetic.
• Leaves are astringent and tonic; used for diarrhoea and dysentery.
• Bark is used in rheumatism, haematuria, ulcers, and gonorrhoea.
• Seeds are used for boils, inflammation, cholera, and also used for general paralysis.
• The plant is antibacterial and haemaglutinin.
• The wood is used as a tonic.
• Decoction of leaves is used for chronic rheumatism and go out; also useful for bowel haemorrhage and haematuria.
• Powdered seeds is used externally to hasten suppuration of boils and also used for headaches.
• A decoction of the bark and leaves is used to treat dysentery, diarrhoea and tonsillitis.
• The pulverized wood, mixed with water, is taken orally for treating migraines and headaches. 
• In India, the leaf shoots used as decoction against rheumatism and gout.