Paubrasilia
Species of plant in the family Fabaceae / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Paubrasilia echinata is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.[4][5] It is a Brazilian timber tree commonly known as Pernambuco wood or brazilwood[6] (Portuguese: pau-de-pernambuco, pau-brasil;[6] Tupi: ybyrapytanga[7]) and is the national tree of Brazil.[5] This plant has a dense, orange-red heartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for making bows for stringed instruments.[5][8] The wood also yields a historically important red dye called brazilin, which oxidizes to brazilein.[9]
Paubrasilia echinata | |
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An adult specimen in a park in Florianópolis, Brazil. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Genus: | Paubrasilia (Gagnon, H.C.Lima & G.P.Lewis 2016) |
Species: | P. echinata |
Binomial name | |
Paubrasilia echinata | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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The name pau-brasil was applied to certain species of the genus Caesalpinia in the medieval period, and was given its original scientific name Caesalpinia echinata in 1785 by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.[3] More recent taxonomic studies have suggested that it merits recognition as a separate genus, and it was thus renamed Paubrasilia echinata in 2016.[3] The Latin specific epithet of echinata refers to hedgehog, from echinus, and describes the thorns which cover all parts of the tree (including the fruits).[10]
The name of Brazil is a shortened form of Terra do Brasil, 'land of brazilwood'.[11]