Japanese name: グアヤックウッド Scientific name:Guaiacum officinale
[Overview]
An evergreen small tree 5–15 m tall, growing in dry areas near the coast.
The trunk is about 10–45 cm in diameter.
The leaves are opposite, evenly pinnately compound, 4–7.5 cm long, and leathery. There are 2–3 pairs of leaflets, which are broadly obovate, 12–32 mm wide and 2–5 cm long, with a rounded base and rounded tip.
The flowers grow in axillary umbels; they are blue, rarely white, 5-petaled, and about 1.5 cm across.
The fruit is an obcordate capsule about 2 cm long, ripening orange-brown. The seeds are brown.
[Uses]
The wood is hard, dense and tough, heavy with a specific gravity of 1.2–1.3, and resistant to insect damage.
It is used for propeller shaft bearings and lathe work.
The wood contains a large amount of resin and was used as a material for guaiacum resin.
