The densest of all woods is Allocasuarina luehmannii. Some hardwoods from Australasia (e.g., Vitex lignum-vitae and some species of Acacia and Eucalyptus) are also referred to as lignum vitae. Lignum Vitae provides food and shelter for birds and is a nectar source for butterflies and bees. Rebuilding the trolley system and expanding it to replace cable car routes destroyed in the quake created a huge demand for insulators, a demand manufacturers further east were unable to meet. Due to its density and natural oils, they rarely require replacement, despite the severity of typical marine weathering conditions, and also resisted jamming in their mortise holes. The best-known come from Bulnesia arborea and Bulnesia sarmientoi (in the same subfamily as Guaiacum) and are known as verawood or Argentine lignum vitae; they are somewhat similar in appearance and working qualities as genuine lignum vitae. Black Friday Sale! Lignum Vitae is a tree. It is slow growing and very drought tolerant. They make one of the nicest small shade trees for tropical landscapes On the Janka scale of hardness, which measures hardness of woods, lignum vitae ranks highest of the trade woods, with a Janka hardness of 4500 lbf (compared with Olneya at 3260 lbf[5], African blackwood at 2940 lbf, hickory at 1820 lbf, red oak at 1290 lbf, yellow pine at 690 lbf, and Balsa at 100 lbf). Native Introduced Native and Introduced. Subordinate Taxa. It grows upto 10 M. Best used for Gout. The tree is the source of a very hard and heavy wood that is brownish green in colour. His novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold also refers to the use of this wood in making a cane for the blind Poncio Vicario. It is also the national tree of the Bahamas, and the Jamaican national flower.[2]. The wood also has seen widespread historical usage in mortars and pestles and for wood carvers' mallets. ", A hand plane with a lignum vitae sole, likely Bulnesia, and a pearwood body. The flowers are bright blue when first open but gradually fade to white. It bears small, purplish-blue flowers which result in paired orange dehiscent fruits. The sheaves of blocks on sailing vessels were made of lignum vitae until the introduction of modern synthetics. G. officinale occurs from the southern United States to northern South America. Other names for lignum vitae include palo santo (Spanish for "holy wood"), Aura palo santo and "bastard greenheart" (not to be confused with true greenheart Chlorocardium rodiei, a popular wood in shipbuilding, cabinetry, and woodturning but a completely different timber). [13] His reference was doubly salacious, referring to both the bark tea's contraceptive qualities[citation needed] and the phallic symbolism of the hard wood. It grows about 9 metres (30 feet) tall and Demand for the wood has been reduced by modern materials science, which has led to polymer, alloys and composite materials that can take lignum vitae's place. Click below on a thumbnail map or name for species profiles. Example of the original construction 53 lb/yd (26 kg/m) inverted "U" rail aka "Bridge" rail, "screw" spike, and lignum vitae tie used to build the Panama Railroad from 1851 to 1855. The use of lignum vitae eliminates the need for horological lubricating oil; 18th-century horological oil would become viscous and reduce the accuracy of a timepiece under unfavourable conditions (including those that prevail at sea). Premium Membership is now 50% off! Genus. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/lignum-vitae, Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance - Lignum Vitae, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - The Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, lignum vitae - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Guaiacum angustifolium. It is an evergreen. It was also used extensively in the manufacture of British Railways Mark 1 Rolling Stock, as a 'bump stop' in the bogies (the 'frame' that carries the wheels). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Due to the density of the wood, cricket bails, in particular "heavy bails" used in windy conditions, are sometimes made of lignum vitae. The wood was once very important for applications requiring a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness, and density. Discussions with various utilities operating these plants, beginning with an affiliate of the Nebraska Public Power District in 1976. Lignum vitae is an attractive member of the small Zygophyllaceae family. American folksinger Pete Seeger fashioned the neck of his trademark banjo from lignum vitae. Gabriel García Márquez's novel Love in the Time of Cholera includes a bathtub made of this wood in one of the main characters' homes. G. officinale occurs from the southern United States to northern South America. Some of those replacements are likely to still be in service. Lignum vitae is a wood, also called guayacan or guaiacum,[1] and in parts of Europe known as Pockholz or pokhout, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. Due to lignum vitae's toughness, it can also be used as a lap in the process of cutting gems. Due to the density of the wood, cricket bails, in particular "heavy bails" used in windy conditions, are sometimes made of lignum vitae. Lignum vitae is hard and durable, and is also the densest wood traded (average dried density: ~79 lbs/ft3 or ~1260 kg/m3);[3][4] it will easily sink in water. Many remained into service well into the 1970s, with the last few pieces replaced in the 2000s in favor of an underground feeder system.[11][12]. The belaying pins and deadeyes aboard USS Constitution and many other sailing ships were made from lignum vitae. Description. Control of this older form of the game was assumed by the Amateur Skittle Association, which specified the dimensions of the alley and the distance between each of the nine pins…. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Plants Database includes the following 4 species of Guaiacum . The plant derives its name from its medicinal uses; lignum vitae resin has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions from coughs to arthritis, and chips of the wood can also be used to brew a tea. The wood also has seen widespread historical usage in mortars and pestles and for wood carvers' mallets. It is used to make pulleys, shafts, axles, and bowling balls. Family. The next big advance was the introduction of the automatic pin-setting machine in the early 1950s. [10], The United Railroads of San Francisco (an ancestor of the San Francisco Municipal Railway) began installing insulators made of composite materials to support the heavy 600-volt DC feeder wires for their trolley system in 1904. Lignum vitae bearings are also found in larger units at several dams in the Pacific Northwest. Zygophyllaceae – Creosote-bush family. Guaiacum L. – lignum-vitae. The wood is obtained chiefly from Guaiacum officinale and Guaiacum sanctum, both small, slow-growing trees. It prevents the building up of Uric Acid in joints. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... …predecessor having been made of lignum vitae, a tropical wood that was durable but that often chipped or otherwise lost its shape. The resin, called guaiacum, is obtained from the wood by distillation; it is used to treat respiratory disorders. Lignum vitae, (genus Guaiacum), any of several trees in the family Zygophyllaceae (order Zygophyllales), particularly Guaiacum officinale, native to the New World tropics. The trees are indigenous to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America (e.g: Venezuela) and have been an important export crop to Europe since the beginning of the 16th century. It is also sometimes used to make lawn bowls, croquet mallets, and skittles balls. According to T. H. White's version of the King Arthur story The Once and Future King, lignum vitae, from which the wand of Merlin is made, has magical powers. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Updates? The yellow heart-shaped fruit is about 2 cm (0.8 inch) long. Lignum Vitae is a small native tree that produces dark blue to purple flowers several times a year. [9] The aft main shaft strut bearings for USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, were composed of this wood. The evergreen leaves are opposite, divided into leaflets (arranged along an axis), and leathery in texture. Note: Guaiacum Officinale relieves the inflammation and pain in case of Gout attacks. Also, the bearings in the original 1920s turbines of the Conowingo hydroelectric plant on the lower Susquehanna River were made from lignum vitae. "Lignum Vitae | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)", "Desert Ironwood - The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)", "Wood Species Janka Hardness Scale/Chart By Common/Trade Name A - J", "Rare tour of Rock Island dam takes visitors below the Columbia", "Taking Care of Corner Stresses from Large D.C. Feeders", International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lignum_vitae&oldid=990731639, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 November 2020, at 05:27.
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