Brazilwood

Brazilwood is a common name for several trees of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) whose wood yields a red dye called brazilein. The name is said to come from "brasa", Portuguese for "ember," owing to its red hue.

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Portuguese explorers used this name for such a wood from a South American tree (Caesalpinia echinata), which led to the name Brazil for its land of origin. This Caesalpinia echinata is also known as "Pau-Brasil" or "Pau-de-Pernambuco". (Pernambuco is the name of a small state in Northeast Brazil, "pau" meaning "wood"). The orange-red wood, which takes a high shine, is also used for making violin bows, and is the premier wood for that purpose.

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Leguminosae: Leguminosae is one of two scientific names allowed for a plant family of close to twenty thousands species. The other name, allowed by Art 18.6 of the ICBN, is Fabaceae....

Pulse: In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. It can be felt at the neck, at the wrist and other places....

Dye: A dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is usually used as an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fibre. In contrast, a pigment generally has no affinity fo...