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Guaiacum officinale

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Zygophyllales Family: Zygophyllaceae Genus: Guaiacum

lignum vitae

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Tree to 7.5 m. tall.

Stems: Stems woody, much branched.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (even-pinnate). Opposite. Blades 5–13 cm long; leaflets 4(–6), broadly obovate to orbicular, and veiny on undersurface. Apex rounded. Surfaces glabrous. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate. Stipules minute, deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences in axillary clusters. Flowers usually bisexual (perfect), ca 2.5 cm in diameter, slightly fragrant. Calyx of 4–5 sepals; sepals ovate or orbicular 5-7 mm. long, velvety. Corolla of 4-5 petals; petals narrowly obovate, varying from blue purple to almost white, upper surface hairy. Stamens 8–10, inserted on low disc, ±equal; filaments free, base appendaged subulate or base slightly winged, sometimes with small basal scale; anthers sagittate or cordate. Ovary superior 2-lobed.

Fruit: Fruit obcordate; ca 0.75" long; lobes often unequal; yellowish; with small mucro at apex; splitting at maturity. Seeds 1 per lobe; ellipsoid; ca 12-13 cm long; brownish; enclosed in reddish aril.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Cultivated.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 381 (1753)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:575 (DESCR); Lau & Frohlich 2012:24 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1930-11-28
2 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen lignum vitae Lvs bright light green Ing, G. Oahu BISH 1961-03-19
3 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen tree 2 m x 1 dm Woolford, H.A. Oahu BISH
4 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details along roadside Preserved_Specimen Small tree 2-2.5 m. tall, crown compact, rounded. Petals and filaments deep blue, fading whitish. Lorence, D.H. 5274 Kauai BISH 1987-06-12
5 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 724 Oahu BISH 1909-04-01
6 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. 4.25 Oahu BISH 1945-12-25
7 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1933-06-27
8 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Dry lowland weedy shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Weedy sapling about 3 feet tall. Corolla lobes and filaments deep lavender to white, persistent as young fruits develop. Fruits immature and green. OED 2009061201 Oahu BISH 2009-06-12
9 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details garden Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 28150 Oahu BISH 1962-11-26
10 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details full sun Preserved_Specimen Tree 6 m. Flowers indigo; with a slight, pleasant odor (at noon) Lau, J. 1131 Oahu BISH 1985-06-22
11 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Weber, P.W. Oahu BISH 1945-04-01
12 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1937-09-25
13 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1932-06-06
14 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. 4.25 Oahu BISH 1945-12-25
15 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. BISH
16 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Growing on mauka side of Nu'upia ponds near Aikahi gate in koa haole scrub forest. Preserved_Specimen Kawelo, K. 596 Oahu BISH 2025-08-23
17 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated. Preserved_Specimen Large tree 23ft tall. 3 stemmed, with thickened and peeling bark. In bud, with immature to old fruit. Lobale lac scale present on tree. Haltom, J. 28 Oahu BISH 2023-01-12
18 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details full sun Preserved_Specimen Tree 6 m. Flowers indigo; with a slight, pleasant odor (at noon) Lau, J. 1131 Oahu BISH 1985-06-22
19 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated, no. 91 on map of campus trees and plants Preserved_Specimen Shrub with smooth bark, light-green foliage, blue flowers. Herbst, D.R. 599 Oahu BISH 1967-09-15
20 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree, 20 yrs old, about 15 feet high, much branched; flowers said to be blue and wood, hard; Alexander, A.M. 5182 Oahu BISH 1947-02-06
21 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details roadside Preserved_Specimen 4 m tree; almond shaped fruit yellow when ripe Trauernicht, C. 225 Kauai BISH 2007-10-25
22 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated from tropical America Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. 620205304 Oahu BISH 1962-02-05
23 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree, ~18'. Fruit golden yellow, opening to expose a single red seed Herbst, D.R. 9225 Oahu BISH 1990-01-21
24 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree ca. 18-23 ft ht, fruits heart shaped bright yellow-oran Kennedy, B. 46 Oahu BISH 1996-01-18
25 Guaiacum officinale Honolulu HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Oahu 9/18/2002
26 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen petals blue not fragrant. Judd Jr., A.F. 111 Oahu BISH 1928-06-09
27 Guaiacum officinale Honolulu HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Oahu 11/18/2002
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