Guaiacum

Guaiacum officinale, Illustration

Guaiac ( Guaiacum ) refers to a genus of the family of Jochblattgewächse ( Zygophyllaceae ). It contains six to eight tree species from tropical and subtropical America. Some deliver the guaiac resin, even the very heavy wood is utilized.

Description

Guaiacum species are trees or shrubs with very hard, resinous wood. The leaves are opposite, pinnate with four pairs to 28 leaflets. The leaves are entire, asymmetrically shaped, and of a leathery consistency. The stipules are small and triangular.

The flowers appear singly in the leaf axils or are summarized in zymösen inflorescences. The flowers are stalked, radial symmetry, their color is blue, purple or white. There are four or five sepals present, which are not attached to each other and fall early. The four or five petals are also not fused together, their shape is broadly obovate. Eight to ten stamens with thin filament and oblong anthers are present. The Upper constant ovary consists of two to five carpels. The result is a leathery, almost top-shaped, two to fünffächrige capsule fruit. It contains in each subject only one oval seeds.

Species

There are six to eight species in the genus Guaiacum trees ( Guaiacum ), in the tropical and warmer America:

• Guaiacum angustifolium Engelm. - Mexico and Texas
• Guaiacum coulteri A. Gray - Mexico
• Guaiacum unijungum Brandegee - Baja California in Mexico
• Guaiacum officinale L. - called Antilles and northern coast of South America, French wood tree or Pockholzbaum, is a 12 m tall, evergreen tree with spreading crown, opposite, two, rarely three-pile leaves, oval, bare leaflets long-stalked, blue flowers and zweifächriger capsule.
• Guaiacum sanctum L. - West Indies, Florida and the Bahamas, with three to vierjochigen leaves and fünffächriger capsule.

Use

The wood is very heavy ( density about 1.2 g / cm ³), solid, hard, brittle, split heavy and irregular, dark greenish brown, surrounded by hellgelblichem sapwood and sharply delineated from this. The wood is cross-grain and therefore can not be planed. On older, about 20 cm thick trunks of sapwood is so weak that it does not fall into the eye. At the core and in the sapwood can be found alternately lighter and darker layers which form very numerous, reminiscent of annual rings circles. The sapwood is tasteless; the heartwood tastes slightly aromatic, a little scratching and developed by heating a slight, pleasant odor. It is very rich in resin (25-27 %).

Remedy

In the Mayan culture decoctions of the wood for the treatment of venereal disease syphilis were used. Guaiacum officinale Guaiacum sanctum and Guaiacum Wood provide the ( French wood, lignum vitae ) and the guaiac resin. The word guaiac is West Indian origin. The Latin name " Lignum vitae" refers to the alleged curative and life-prolonging properties of this famous in the 18th century wood.

The use of wood learned the Spaniards know by the locals of Santo Domingo; they brought it already in 1508 under the name " Palo Santo " ( " Lignum vitae ", " Lignum sanctum " ) to Europe, where it was still very expensive in 1532. In Germany Nicolaus Poll contributed ( in 1517 ) and Leonhard Schmaus ( in 1518 ), but especially Ulrich von Hutten ( in 1519 ) for the dissemination of the "holy or Indian wood " at. The latter will have owed of syphilis the " life wood " after much fruitless use of mercury its alleged healing. Wood and bark were crushed in the 19th century used as a remedy for syphilis ( as a tea ), persistent chronic rashes, rheumatism and gout.

The German expression lignum vitae arose because the chips of the guaiac tree contain oils that have been used in the past as a drug in the medical unproven belief that extracts of the wood are in a position to cure the disease smallpox.

Nowadays, the pharmaceutical industry guaiac extracts utilized for the preparation of homeopathic preparations.

Medical Test

For the detection of not directly visible blood in the stool of patients a small stool sample is added to guaiac resin - impregnated filter paper. The existing hemoglobin in the blood is then passed through a reaction with hydrogen peroxide visible: The test strip turns blue.

Flavor

At least 20 tons of wood are consumed every year in Germany as a flavoring essence for the preparation of herbal liqueurs. In addition, the guaiac resin is offered as a part of herbal mixtures. The scents of the resin is said to have both stimulatory and calming influences.

Timber

Approximately 50 tons of wood are used for the solid wood construction. As one of the hardest woods ever was lignum vitae centuries ago for shipbuilding, used in the manufacture of axle bearings, press rollers, cone bullets, mortars, pestles, hammer for caulking etc.. It is suitable for highly stressed parts such as ship bearings, gears and tools, such as planer base for various Carpenters. The balls used in the Frisian national sport " Boßeln " are made of this highly resistant wood.

Species protection

International trade in wood and resin of species of tropical guaiac or Pockholzbaumes ( Guaiacum ) is for the protection of traded animal and plant species ( CITES) since November 26, 2002 subject to approval by the decision of the 12th Conference of the Parties. At the request of Germany, the former guard of two types of Guajakbaums was extended to all species of the genus. By listing in Appendix II of the Convention, the trade is not prohibited with this wood, but it is subject to approval. The aim is to make the trade long term nature compatible with the Pockholzarten.