Difference between revisions of "Brazilwood"

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{{Taxobox
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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| color = lightgreen
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| name = ''Caesalpinia echinata''
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| name = Brazilwood
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| common_names = Brazilwood
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| status = EN
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| growth_habit = tree
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| image =  
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| image_width = 250px
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| image_caption =  
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| ordo = [[Fabales]]
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| familia = [[Caesalpiniaceae]]
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| subfamilia = [[Caesalpinioideae]]
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| genus = ''[[Caesalpinia]]''
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| species = '''''C. echinata'''''
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| binomial = ''Caesalpinia echinata''
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| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| binomial_authority = [[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck|Lam.]]
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| color = IndianRed
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| range_map = Distribution.ceasalpinia.echinata.png
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| image = Caesalpinia echinata Taub95.png
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| range_map_width = 250px
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| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
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| range_map_caption = natural range
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| image_caption = An illustration of a young tree and its flower
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
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| ordo = Fabales
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| familia = Caesalpiniaceae
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| genus = Caesalpinia
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| species = echinata
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| subspecies =  
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| cultivar =  
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}}
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{{Inc|
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Caesalpinia echinata, Lam. Tree, with prickly rusty pubescent branches: Lvs. unarmed, glabrous; pinnae; 5-9, each with 15-20 rhombic-oblong obtuse lfts, 1/2―3/4 in. long: fls. yellow in axillary and terminal racemes; calyx pubescent; stamens shorter than petals: pod oblong, 3 in. long. Brazil. Fl. Brasil.—Yields dye-wood.{{SCH}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
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'''Brazilwood''' or '''Pau-Brasil''', sometimes known as '''Pernambuco''' (''Caesalpinia echinata'' [[syn.]] ''Guilandina echinata'' (Lam.) Spreng.) is a [[Brazil]]ian timber tree. This plant has a dense, orange-red wood (which takes a high shine), and it is the premier wood used for making [[bow (music)|bows]] for string instruments from the [[violin family]]. The wood also yields a red [[dye]] called [[brazilin]], which oxidizes to ''brazilein''.
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==Cultivation==
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[[Image:Brazilwood tree in Vitória, ES, Brazil.jpg|thumb|200px|right|An adult specimen in a square in [[Vitória]], Brazil.]]
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== Terminology ==
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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When [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorers found many of these red-hued trees on the coast of [[South America]], they used the name ''pau-brasil'' to describe them: ''pau'' is Portuguese for "wood", and ''brasil'' is said to have come from ''brasa'', Portuguese for "ember".  This name was used earlier to describe a different species of tree which was found in Asia and other places and which also produced red dye; but the south american trees soon became the better source of red dye.  Brazilwood trees were such a large part of the exports and economy of the land that the country which sprang up in that part of the world took its name from them and is now called [[Brazil]].
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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Botanically, several tree species are involved in the family ''[[Leguminosae]]'', the ([[legume|pulse]] family).  The term "Brasilwood" is most often used to refer to the species ''[[Caesalpinia]] echinata'', although it is also applied to other species.  This ''Caesalpinia echinata'' is also known as  ''Pau-de-Pernambuco'' ([[Pernambuco]] is also the name of a small state in Northeast Brazil).
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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In the bow making business, the best quality wood bows are made from "Caesalpinia Echinata" commonly known in the trade as "Pernambuco Wood", while bows of lesser quality wood are made from other tropical species often called "Brazilwood".  "Pernambuco" and "Brazilwood" as used in the stringed instruments bows come from completely different species, contrary to some popular belief. Examples of "Brazilwood" species used for bows include "ipe" and "massaranduba", "Tabebuia avellanadae" and "Manilkara bidentata" respectively.
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==Species==
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<!-- This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc    -->
  
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==Historical importance==
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==Gallery==
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[[Image:Caesalpinia echinata Taub95.png|thumb|300px|right|An illustration of a young tree and its flower.]]
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
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[[Image:Brazilwood tree in Vitória, ES, Brazil.jpg|thumb|200px|right|An adult specimen in a square in [[Vitória]], Brazil.]]
 
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In the 15th and 16th centuries, brazilwood was highly valued in [[Europe]] and quite difficult to get. Coming from [[Asia]], it was traded in powder form and used as a [[brazilin|red dye]] in the manufacture of luxury [[textiles]], such as [[velvet]], in high demand during the [[Renaissance]]. When Portuguese navigators discovered present-day Brazil, on [[April 22]], [[1500]], they immediately saw that brazilwood was extremely abundant along the coast and in its hinterland, along the rivers. In a few years, a hectic and very profitable operation for [[logging|felling]] and transporting by shipping all the brazilwood logs they could get was established, as a crown-granted Portuguese [[monopoly]]. The rich [[commerce]] which soon followed stimulated other nations to try to harvest and smuggle brazilwood [[contraband]] out of Brazil, or even [[Privateer|corsairs]] attacking loaded Portuguese ships in order to steal their cargo. For example, the unsuccessful attempt of a French expedition led by [[Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon]], vice-admiral of [[Brittany]] and corsair under the King, in 1555, to establish a colony in present-day [[Rio de Janeiro]] ([[France Antarctique]]) was motivated in part by the bounty generated by economic exploitation of brazilwood. In addition, this plant is also cited in ''[[Flora Brasiliensis]]'' by [[Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius]].
 
  
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== Exploitation ==
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<gallery>
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
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Excessive exploitation led to a steep decrease in the number of brazilwood trees in the 18th century, causing the collapse of this economic activity. Presently, the species is nearly [[extinction|extinct]] in most of its original range. Brazilwood is listed as an endangered species by the [[IUCN]], and it is cited in the [[official list of endangered flora of Brazil]]. The trade of brazilwood is likely to be banned in the immediate future, creating a major problem in the bow-making industry which highly values this wood{{Fact|date=July 2007}}. The [[International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative]] (IPCI), whose members are the bowmakers who rely on pernambuco for their livelihoods, is working to replant it.  IPCI is advocating the use of other woods for violin bows as it raises money to plant pernambuco seedlings.  The shortage of pernambuco has also helped the [[carbon fiber]] bow industry to thrive.
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==References==
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
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''[[Tree of Music]],'' a feature-length [[Documentary film|documentary]] on the plight of this species is currently in production.
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
  
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==External links==
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{{stub}}
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*[http://www.arcosbrasil.com/PernambuccoWood/pernambuccowood.html About Pernambuco Wood] from a bowmaker's website.
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=CAEC3&display=31 USDA Plants Profile: ''Caesalpinia echinata'']
 
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*{{pt icon}} [http://florabrasiliensis.cria.org.br/search?taxon_id=5939 Flora Brasiliensis:  ''Caesalpinia echinata'']
 
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*{{pt icon}} [http://www.ipef.br/identificacao/nativas/detalhes.asp?codigo=9 Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Florestais: ''Caesalpinia echinata'']
 
  
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[[Category:Caesalpinioideae]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
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[[Category:Flora of Brazil]]
 
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[[Category:Dyes]]
 
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[[Category:Wood]]
 

Latest revision as of 16:20, 7 May 2009


An illustration of a young tree and its flower


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ✈ ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Caesalpiniaceae >

Caesalpinia >

echinata >



Read about Brazilwood in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Caesalpinia echinata, Lam. Tree, with prickly rusty pubescent branches: Lvs. unarmed, glabrous; pinnae; 5-9, each with 15-20 rhombic-oblong obtuse lfts, 1/2―3/4 in. long: fls. yellow in axillary and terminal racemes; calyx pubescent; stamens shorter than petals: pod oblong, 3 in. long. Brazil. Fl. Brasil.—Yields dye-wood.CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

An adult specimen in a square in Vitória, Brazil.
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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Species

Gallery

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  • photo 1

  • photo 2

  • photo 3

References

External links


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