Baphia nitida

Camwood
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Baphia
Species: B. nitida
Binomial name
Baphia nitida
Lodd.
The distribution of Baphia nitida.
Synonyms[1]
  • Baphia angolensis sensu Lester-Garland
  • Baphia barombiensis Taub.
  • Baphia haematoxylon (Schum. & Thonn.) Hooker f.
  • Carpolobia versicolor G. Don
  • Delaria pyrifolia Desv.
  • Podalyria haematoxylon Schum. & Thonn.

Baphia nitida (camwood, also barwood), also known as African sandalwood, is a shrubby, leguminous, hard-wooded tree from central west Africa. This 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.

Camwood is known as "osun" in Yoruba.

Pterocarpin is a pterocarpan found in B. nitida.[2]

Osun (camwood) extract is also used in some soaps and skin treatments, although there aren't published studies about its efficacy or safety.

References

  1. ↑ Soladoye MO (1985). "A revision of Baphia (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae)". Kew Bulletin. 40 (2): 291–386. doi:10.2307/4108263. JSTOR 4108263.
  2. ↑ Pterocarpin at knapsack_jsp
  • Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Baphia nitida". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
  • Wikisource "Camwood". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.


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