About Camwood
Baphia nitida, also known as camwood, barwood, and African sandalwood (although not a true sandalwood), is a shrubby, leguminous, hard-wooded tree from central west Africa. It is a small understorey, evergreen tree, often planted in villages, and known as osun in Yoruba. The wood is of a very fine colour, and is used in woodturning for making knife handles and similar articles. The tree's bark and heartwood are commonly used to make a brilliant but non-permanent red dye, which is soluble in alkali. Pterocarpin is a pterocarpan found in B. nitida. Osun (camwood) extract is also used in some soaps and skin treatments, primarily among the Yoruba people of West Africa.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Baphia nitida
- Genus
- Baphia
- Family
- FABACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Camwood belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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