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Secang (Caesalpinia sappan)

Dlium Secang (Caesalpinia sappan)

Secang (Biancaea sappan) is a species of plant in the Fabaceae, a small tree or shrub, 4-10 meters high, the stem is grayish brown or green and has tooth-like protrusions with many scattered spines.

B. sappan has a brown taproot, erect stem, compound and double-pinnate leaves with 3-4 mm abutments, falls easily and is green. The main leaves are up to 50 cm long with 18-28 minor leaves and sit in pairs.







Minor leaves are up to 20 cm long, 10-20 pairs of strands on each side of the leaf vein and sit opposite each other. The strands are oval, 2 cm long, 1 cm wide, slanted at the base and curved ends.

The flowers are in panicles at the end of the stem or in the upper axils, 10-40 cm long, have bracts 5-12 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, hairy and fall off easily. Pedicels are 15-20 mm long.

Flowers are yellow, numbered 5, petals are glabrous, the petals are 7-10 mm long and 4 mm wide. The crown has hair, 9-11 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, the higher it gets, the smaller the size, has 5 mm nails, 15 mm sari stalk and 18 mm pistil.

Fruit in a pod, oval in shape, 6-10 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, tip like a beak, yellowish green and becomes reddish brown when ripe. Each pod has 2-4 seeds, is ellipsoid in shape, 15-18 mm long, 8-11 mm wide and blackish brown in color.

Secang grows in tropical areas at elevations of 0-1000 meters on clayey or limestone soil or sandy soil near rivers.

Wood is used to produce dyes for food, clothing, woven fabric and other items. Wood also has properties as an astringent. The main ingredient is brazilin as an antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, hypoglycemic, vasorelaxant, hepatoprotective and anti-acne.

Wood extract also has anti-tumor, anti-virus, immunostimulant and other properties. Javanese people use pieces of secang wood to mix herbal medicine and one of the ingredients for making refreshing drinks typical of Yogyakarta.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Caesalpinieae
Genus: Biancaea Tod. in Nuov. Gen. Sp.: 21 (1858)
Species: Biancaea sappan (L.) Tod. in Hort. Bot. Panorm. 1: 3 (1875)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Caesalpinia angustifolia Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 326 (1796)
Caesalpinia sappan L. in Sp. Pl.: 381 (1753)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Caesalpinia sapang Noronha in Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 12 (1790)

PUBLICATIONS

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Sanjappa, M., Pusalkar, P.K. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2024). Flora of India 6: 1-556. Botanical Survey of India.

VERNACULAR NAME

Aceh: Seupeueng
Alor: Hong
Bali: Cang
Betawi: Sĕpang, Sĕcang
Bima: Supa, Supang
Bugis: Sĕpang
Burmese: တင်းညက် Teing-nyet
Chinese (Simplified): 塞康 - 苏木
Chinese (Traditional): 塞康
Czech: Sapan obecný
English: Secang, Indian redwood, Sappanwood, Sappan
Filipino: Sibukao, Sapang
French: Sappan
Gayo: Sepang
Hindi: पटामग - बकम Patamg, Bakam
Indonesia: Secang
Japanese: スオウ
Java: Secang, Soga jawa
Kannada: Sappanga, Patanga
Khmer: ស្បែង Sbaèng
Lao: ຟາງແດງ Faang dèèng
Madura: Kajo sècang
Makassar: Sapang
Malayalam: Chappangam, Patang, Sappannam
Malaysia: Sepang
Maluku Utara: sawala, Singiang, Sinyianga, Hinianga
Manado: Sema
Marathi: Patang, Pathang
Minang: Sapang, Cacang
Rote: Sepe
Sanskrit: Patrangah, Patangah
Sasak: Sĕpang
Sawu: Hapé
Sulawesi Utara: Naga, Pasa, Dolo
Sunda: Secang
Tamil: சப்பம்கு - படம்கம் Sappamgu, Patamgam
Telugu: Bakaruchakka
Ternate: Sunyiha
Thai: ฝาง
Tidore: Roro
Timor: Sepel
Toba: Sopang
Vietnam: Vang nhuôm, Tô môc
Weda: Sefen

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