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Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Taxonomy. 3. Reproductive biology. 4. Anatomy. 5. Distribution. 6. Ecology and population status: a case study in Gwalabari community forest, Kanchanpur, Nepal. 7. Pretreatment methods for seed germination. 8. Economic Botany and ethnobotany. 9. Phytochemistry, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic activities and Toxicity. 10. Antimicrobial activity. 11.Threats, conservation and trade. References. Appendices.

From the preface: Pterocarpus marsupium, commonly known as "Bijaysal" in Nepal, is a deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae. The aqueous extract of its wood has been used against diabetes in mice for a very long time and the species has been highly exploited for the heartwood as well as for the Kino gum. Poor natural regeneration, poor seed viability and germination, grazing, and overexploitation of the tree have resulted in a massive decrease in natural populations worldwide. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has enlisted the tree in its 'Near Threatened' category. The government of Nepal has declared Bijaysal as a protected species and has banned its collection, fetching and transportation for commercial purposes. This monograph contains a wide diversity of chapters that cover information on almost every aspect of Bijaysal.