Friday 30 May 2014

The Bloodwood Tree

I wonder why it's called a 'Bloodwood' tree ?


Below is a picture of the Bloodwood tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) it is a deciduous, spreading and slightly flat-crowned tree with a high canopy. It reaches about 15 metres in height, has dark bark and is native to southern Africa. Bloodwood is also a name given to a native Australian variety (Corymbia Terminalis) and a genus of plants in the mulberry family (Brosimum Rubescens) native to tropical regions of the Americas and used for decorative woodworking.

Bloodwood tree (Pterocarpus angolensis)
Pterocarpus angolensis is a kind of teak native to southern Africa, known by various names such as Kiaat, Mukwa, and Muninga. It is also called the Bloodwood tree, so named for the tree’s remarkable dark red coloured sap. A chopped trunk or a damaged branch of the tree starts dripping deep red fluid, almost like a severed limb of an animal. The sticky, reddish-brown sap seals the wound to promote healing.




The red sap is used traditionally as a dye and in some areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood, apparently because of its close resemblance to blood. The tree is also used for treating many medical conditions such as ringworm, stabbing pains, eye problems, malaria, blackwater fever, stomach problems and to increase the supply of breast milk.


The wood makes high-quality furniture, as it can be easily carved, glues and screws well and takes a fine polish. It shrinks very little when drying from the green condition, and this quality, together with its high durability, makes it particularly suitable for boat building, canoes and bathroom floors.
Because of its great value to the indigenous peoples of the central and southern Africa, these trees are being harvested at an unsustainable rate leading to its decline in recent decades.


Watch the video below of the sawing of a Bloodwood tree.




Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.advantagelumber.com/
http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.co.uk/


4 comments:

  1. Hi there,

    We are a small educational publisher based in South Africa, called The English Experience.

    We are contacting you because we would very much like to obtain permission to use two of your images, in an educational resource that we are putting together for South African high school students. The textbook is for educational purposes only and is entitled The Dream House: The Complete Guide and Resource

    As a very small publishing company, our budgets are very tight and the print run of this resource will only be around 2000 copies.

    Please can you assist us?

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind regards,

    Savannah Jabour

    The English Experience
    Publishers of high-quality English educational resources

    Tel: +27 (0)11 786-6702
    Fax: +27 (0)86 612-4437

    E-mail: savannah@englishexperience.co.za

    Website: http://www.englishexperience.co.za

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi there,

    We are a small educational publisher based in South Africa, called The English Experience.

    We are contacting you because we would very much like to obtain permission to use two of your images, in an educational resource that we are putting together for South African high school students. The textbook is for educational purposes only and is entitled The Dream House: The Complete Guide and Resource

    As a very small publishing company, our budgets are very tight and the print run of this resource will only be around 2000 copies.

    Please can you assist us?

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind regards,

    Savannah Jabour

    The English Experience
    Publishers of high-quality English educational resources

    Tel: +27 (0)11 786-6702
    Fax: +27 (0)86 612-4437

    E-mail: savannah@englishexperience.co.za

    Website: http://www.englishexperience.co.za

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow…outstanding service and products to meet our office needs. I Love all and the colors you choose are perfect. I want this furniture for my new house. Thanks a lot for sharing
    Dressing Table In Chennai With Prices

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete