| Paubrasilia echinata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An adult specimen in a park inFlorianópolis, 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] | |
| |
Paubrasilia echinata is a species offlowering plant in the legume family,Fabaceae, that isendemic to theAtlantic Forest of Brazil.[4][5] It is a Brazilian timber tree commonly known asbrazilwood[6] (pau-brasil;[6]Tupi:ybyrapytanga[7]) and is the national tree of Brazil.[5] This plant has a dense, orange-redheartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for makingbows for stringed instruments.[5][8] The wood also yields a historically important reddye calledbrazilin, which oxidizes to brazilein.[9]
The namepau-brasil was applied to certain species of thegenusCaesalpinia[dubious –discuss] in the medieval period,[clarification needed] and was given its originalscientific nameCaesalpinia echinata in 1785 byJean-Baptiste Lamarck.[3] More recent taxonomic studies have suggested that it merits recognition as a separate genus, and it was thus renamedPaubrasilia echinata in 2016.[3] The Latinspecific epithet ofechinata refers tohedgehog, fromechinus, and describes the thorns which cover all parts of the tree (including the fruits).[10]
Thename of Brazil is a shortened form ofTerra do Brasil, 'land of brazilwood'.[11]
WhenPortuguese explorers foundPaubrasilia on the coast of South America, they recognised it as a relative of an Asian species ofsappanwood already used in Europe for producing red dye. The Portuguese named these treespau-brasil, the termpau meaning wood, andbrasil meaning reddish/ember-like. The South American trees soon dominated trading as a better source of dye. Such a vigorous trade resulted from the woods that early sailors and merchants started referring to the land itself asTerra do Brasil, or simply, the "Land of Brazil"; from this use, the present name of Brazil was derived.
Botanically, several tree species are involved, all in the familyFabaceae (thepulse family). The term "brazilwood" is most often used to refer to the speciesPaubrasilia echinata, but it is also applied to other species, such asBiancaea sappan andHaematoxylum brasiletto. The tree is also known by other names: such asibirapitanga, fromTupiïbi'rá pi'tãga meaning "reddish wood";[7] orpau de pernambuco, named after the Brazilian state ofPernambuco.
In describingbows forstring instruments, it is usual to refer to some species other thanPaubrasilia echinata as "brazilwood"; examples include pink ipê (Handroanthus impetiginosus), massaranduba (Manilkara bidentata) and palo brasil (Haematoxylum brasiletto). The highly prizedPaubrasilia echinata is usually called "Pernambuco wood" in this particular context.
The brazilwood tree may reach up to 15 metres (49 ft) in height, and the dark brown bark flakes in large patches, revealing the lustrous blood-red sapwood underneath. The leaves are pinnate and each consists of between 9 and 19 small, leathery leaflets, which are broadly oblong in shape.[12] The flower stalk, or inflorescence, is also branched and contains between 15 and 40 yellow, strongly perfumed flowers,[12] which may be pollinated by bees.[12] The petals are usually yellow with a blood-red blotch.[12] The fruits are oval-shaped woody seedpods, measuring up to 7.3 centimetres (2.9 in) long and 2.6 centimetres (1.0 in) across; they hang off the branches and after the seeds are expelled, the pods become twisted.[12] The branches, leaves and fruit are covered with small thorns.[12]
There are some important differences between geographically distinct populations and it is thought that separate subspecies of the pau brasil may exist.[12] This tree may have some medicinal properties and has been used as an astringent and antidiuretic by local people; extracts have been tested as possible cancer treatments.[12]
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Starting in the 16th century, brazilwood became highly valued in Europe[13] and quite difficult to get. A related wood,sappanwood, coming from Asia was traded in powder form and used as ared dye in the manufacture of luxurytextiles, such asvelvet, in high demand during theRenaissance. When Portuguese navigators landed in 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 felling and 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 brazilwoodcontraband out of Brazil, andcorsairs to attack loaded Portuguese ships in order to steal their cargo. For example, the unsuccessful attempt in 1555 of a French expedition led byNicolas Durand de Villegaignon, vice-admiral ofBrittany and corsair under the King, to establish a colony in present-dayRio de Janeiro (France Antarctique) was motivated in part by the bounty generated by economic exploitation of brazilwood. In addition, this plant is also cited inFlora Brasiliensis byCarl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
Brazilwood is considered to be superior to all other materials for making stringed-instrumentbows.[14] Excessive harvesting 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 nearlyextirpated in most of its original range. Brazilwood is listed as an endangered species by theIUCN, and it is cited in theofficial list of endangered flora of Brazil.
At the 2024 annual meeting of theConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) it was resolved that existing stockpiles of the wood should be registered, that finishedbows should be marked and traceable, and that suitable plantations in Brazil should be identified to maintain a sustainable supply.[15] Future trade and conservation of the product is on the agenda for the November 2025 CITES conference.[16] The International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI), whose members are the bowmakers who rely on pernambuco for their livelihoods, is working to replant the trees. IPCI advocates the use of other woods for violin bows to raise money to plant pernambuco seedlings. The shortage of pernambuco has also helped thecarbon fiber and composite bow industry to thrive.
Restoration of the species in the wild is hampered by the fact that it is aclimax community species, which will develop well only when planted amongstsecondary forest vegetation.[17] Although many saplings have been distributed or sold during recent decades, that has led to the tree being planted in places outside its natural range, with somewhat poor results, such as what happens with brazilwood trees used for urban landscaping in the city ofSão Paulo, they fruited abundantly in the city in 2009 due to a humid season.[18]
Data related toPaubrasilia at Wikispecies
