Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Adenanthera
Species: A. pavonina
Common name: Raktakanchan, Ranjan (Beng.); Coral or red wood tree (Eng.).
Edible Parts: Plant, young leaves,flower, seed, wood.
Life cycle: Perennial
Native Range: This plant is found in the wild in India. It is also introduced in the following countries of America: Brazil, specially in Caatinga vegetation; Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Tobago, Venezuela, and the United States, specially in southern Florida.
Description: A. pavonina is often cultivated as a forage, a medicinal plant, and an ornamental plant. This tree is common within the tropics of the old world, particularly in the Maldives, principally upon the shores. The beauty of the seeds, their use as beads and for necklace, and their nourishing qualities, have combined to scatter the plant.
Medicinal Uses: A red powder made from the wood of A. pavonina is also used as an antiseptic paste. In Ancient Indian medicine, the ground seeds are used to treat boils and inflammations. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat gout and rheumatism. The bark was used to wash hair.
