Schinopsis balansae is a hardwoodtree known aswillow-leaf red quebracho[4] which forms forests in the subtropicalHumid Chaco ecoregion of north-easternArgentina, andParaguay. It is also found in the wildPantanalvegetation inBrazil. Some of its vernacular names arequebracho colorado chaqueño andquebracho santafesino. Other species, likeSchinopsis lorentzii, bear the general namequebracho and have similar properties and uses.S. balansae shares its habitat with a species of the samegenus,S. heterophylla, and the two are often confused.
| Schinopsis balansae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Source: Libro del Árbol, Tome II, Celulosa Argentina S. A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Mr. Jorge Vallmitjana | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Schinopsis |
| Species: | S. balansae |
| Binomial name | |
| Schinopsis balansae | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Quebrachia morongiiBritton | |
This tree can reach 24 metres in height and more than one metre in diameter. Its trunk is straight, with a brownish-gray bark. Its wood is extremely heavy (relative density = 1.2). Its main use is the extraction of quebracho extract, which is 63% puretannin.
The tree was declared Argentina's "National Forest Tree" in 1956.[5]
Chemistry
editLeuco-fisetinidin, a flavan-3,4-diol (leucoanthocyanidin) and a monomer of the condensed tannins calledprofisetinidins, can be extracted from the heartwoods ofS. balansae.[6]
References
edit- ^Americas Regional Workshop (1998)."Schinopsis balansae".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.1998. Conservation Sustainable Management of Trees, Costa Rica, November 1996. Retrieved12 May 2006.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
- ^"Schinopsis balansae Engl".Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. RetrievedMay 22, 2023.
- ^"Schinopsis balansae Engl".Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. RetrievedMay 22, 2023.
- ^"Schinopsis balansae".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved12 February 2014.
- ^"Declárase "Arbol Forestal Nacional" al (Schinopsis Balansea Engl) "Quebracho colorado chaqueño"" (in Spanish). Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación. 1956-08-21. Retrieved2012-02-25.
- ^Roux, DG; Evelyn, SR (October 1958)."Condensed tannins. 2. Biogenesis of condensed tannins based on leucoanthocyanins".Biochem. J.70 (2):344–9.doi:10.1042/bj0700344.PMC 1196676.PMID 16748787.
- Pott, A.; Pott, V.J. (1994).Plantas do Pantanal. (Plants of Pantanal) (in Portuguese).EMBRAPA.ISBN 85-85007-36-2