Economic importance of Anogeissus pendula

Common name:  Chakwa
Family: Combretaceae
Origin: India

Description: It is a small tree, Bark is smooth grey, sliver white often with shallow fissures when old. Leaves  elliptic, acute and narrow at the base, silky on both surface. Fruit small, one seeded with two wings, and a short beak at the apex.

Economic Importance:

• The wood has a lot of mechanical strength and very tough. It is regarded as the 3rd toughest timber in the world. The timber is used for furniture, agricultural implements, tool handles of all kinds, poles, rafters, for carts, spokes of wheels, toys, shuttles and bobbins, tool handles etc.
• At present, it is extensively used as fuel wood, calorific value of sap-wood being 4837 kcal and hardwood 4739 kcal/kg.
• The leaves are used as fodder.
• Bark yields a gum called gatti or Indian gum.
• The main value of the tree lies in its afforestation purposes for afforesting the semi- rocky and rocky terrains of arid regions.