Adenanthera microsperma Seeds | Red Sandalwood
LATIN NAME: Adenanthera microsperma
COMMON NAME: Coral Bead Tree
Plant Profile
Adenanthera microsperma is a legume of the seasonal forests of South-East Asia, grown for seed that is a hard, glossy scarlet and about the size of a pea. The pods curl and twist as they dry and then split to release the seed, which stays red for years and is used for beadwork and for necklaces. The tree reaches twenty metres with a straight trunk and a spreading crown.
The species is closely related to Adenanthera pavonina, the coral bead tree of India and Malesia, and the two are often confused in the trade. The leaves are twice-divided with small leaflets, and the flowers are small, cream and fragrant, in spikes at the ends of the branches. The wood is hard and reddish, and it is used for furniture and for turnery.
Science & Biotechnology
The seed coat is extremely hard and contains a red pigment that persists after the seed is dead, which is why the beads keep their colour. The seed also contains a toxic lectin and other compounds, and it should not be eaten: cases of poisoning in children who chewed the beads have been reported, with abdominal pain and vomiting.
The genus is placed in the subfamily Mimosoideae, and its closest relatives are the albizias and the acacias. The seed is dispersed by gravity and by rodents, and the hard coat means it can remain viable in the soil for years. Germination in the wild is triggered by heat or by abrasion, and the seedling establishes in gaps in the canopy.
Uses & Benefits
The seed is used for beads, for rosaries and for necklaces, and it is sold in craft markets across Asia. The wood is used for furniture, for cabinets and for turnery, and it takes a fine polish. The tree is also planted as an ornamental and as a shade tree in villages.
In local medicine the bark and the leaf are used as a wash for ulcers and the seed, after processing, as a treatment for skin complaints. The seed is not a food, and it should be kept away from children. The timber is the only commercial product of any scale, and it is sold under the name of coral wood.
Growing from Seed
Scarify the seed by nicking the coat or by soaking it in hot water for a day, then sow at 25 to 30 degrees. Germination is in one to three weeks. The seedling is fast and can be planted out within a year.
The tree wants full sun and a deep, well-drained soil, and it needs a frost-free climate. It is drought-tolerant once established and it grows on poor soils, but it resents waterlogging. Plant it where the seed will not be eaten by children or by livestock, and give it room, since the crown is broad.
Our Take
A timber tree with seed like red glass, and one to keep away from children, since the beads are poisonous.
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