Guaiacum

This small tree is very slow growing, reaching about 10 m in height with a trunk diameter of 60 cm. The tree is essentially evergreen throughout most of its native range. The leaves are compound, 2.5 to 3 cm in length, and 2 cm wide. The blue flowers have five petals which yield a bright yellow-orange fruit with red flesh and black seeds.

Guaiacum, sometimes spelled Guajacum, is a genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family Zygophyllaceae. It contains five species of slow-growing shrubs and trees, reaching a height of approximately 20 m (66 ft) but are usually less than half of that. All are native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas. The word guaiacum originated in Maipurean, the language spoken by the native Taínos of the Bahamas; it was adopted by English in 1533, the first word in that language of American origin. More

Guaiacum officinale is one of the species yielding the true lignum vitae. All species in this genus Guaiacum are CITES-listed. The other species of true Lignum Vitae is Guaiacum sanctum. Contents - * 1 Description * 2 Characteristics * 3 References * 3.1 Notes * 3. More

Guaiacum is controlled under CITES Appendix II. Guaiacum officinale is the national flower of Jamaica, while Guaiacum sanctum is the national tree of The Bahamas. More

as Samento and Guaiacum have antispirochete activity. More