Logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum) is a tree in the legume family that has been and to a lesser extent remains of great economic importance. It grows throughout Central America and even led to the founding of the modern nation of Belize, which grew from British logging camps of the 17th century. The tree's scientific name means "bloodwood" (haima being Greek for blood and xulon for wood). In fact, the name "logwood" is also used for many other species, such the Spiny logwood and White logwood, that are not true logwoods but really belong to the genus Xylosma.
Uses
Logwood was used for a long time as a natural source of dye, and still remains an importance source of haematoxylin which is used in histology for staining. The bark and leaves are also used in various medical applications. In its time, Logwood was considered a versatile dye, and was widely used on textiles but also for paper.[1] The dye's colour depends on the mordant used as well as the pH. It is redish in an acidic environments but bluish in alkaline ones.[1]
Media related to Haematoxylum campechianum at Wikimedia Commons
Information related to Haematoxylum campechianum from Wikispecies.
