Tripura – Agar
Common Name: Agar, Malayan Aloe Wood, Malayan Eagle Wood
Local Name: Agaru (Sanskrit and Bengali); Sasi (Assamese)
Scientific Name: Aquilaria malaccensis Lam.
Description: This is a large evergreen tree. The young bark is light brown and possesses fine hair, while the older bark is white and comparatively smooth. The wood with resin is hard, heavy, and dark, while the wood without resin is soft, light, and white.
Economic and Medicinal Importance: An essential oil called “oil chuwah” is obtained from the wood of the Agar tree, which is used as a perfume and as raw material for incense sticks. More than 12 chemical components can be extracted from Agarwood. Wood with low resin content is used for making boxes and for decorative purposes. The inner fibrous bark is often used locally as a raw material for clothing and making ropes. The bark juice is used to treat diarrhea, while the agar obtained from the wood is used against vomiting. The resinous substance is used in treating gout and rheumatism.