Logwood
StarHaematoxylum campechianum
Synonyms: Cymbosepalum baronii, Acosmium trichonema
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Beyond its historic importance as the source of the red-to-purple dye haematoxylin, logwood is used in Mexican and Maya folk medicine: a decoction of the astringent reddish heartwood is taken for diarrhoea and dysentery and as a mild tonic for the digestion, and the wood and bark have been used in preparations for chronic bowel complaints (Standley, Trees and Shrubs of Mexico; Morton, Atlas of Medicinal Plants).
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Botanical Description
Haematoxylum campechianum, the logwood or palo de Campeche, is a small, often crooked, spiny tree in the family Fabaceae, native to the lowlands of southern Mexico (especially the Yucatan and Campeche), Belize and northern Central America, where it grows in seasonally flooded ground, swamp margins and coastal thickets. It usually reaches 5 to 15 metres, with a short, deeply fluted and contorted trunk, greyish bark and zigzagging, spine-bearing branches. The alternate, pinnate leaves have a few pairs of small, obcordate (heart-shaped, notched) leaflets. Fragrant, small, bright yellow five-petalled flowers are borne in slender axillary racemes, followed by thin, flattened, lance-shaped pods that split along the middle of each face rather than along the margins. The most notable feature is the dense, dark reddish heartwood, which yields the natural dye haematoxylin (the source of the histological stain), long an important article of commerce.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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