Peltogyne
Peltogyne | |
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Illustration of Peltogyne paniculata flowers | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Detarioideae |
Tribe: | Detarieae
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Genus: | Peltogyne Vogel |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Peltogyne, commonly known as purpleheart, violet wood, amaranth and other local names (often referencing the colour of the wood) is a genus of 23 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae; native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America; from Guerrero, Mexico, through Central America, and as far as south-eastern Brazil.[2]
They are medium-sized to large trees growing to 30–50 m (100–160 ft) tall, with trunk diameters of up to 1.5 m (5 ft). The leaves are alternate, divided into a symmetrical pair of large leaflets 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 2–4 cm (1–2 in) broad. The flowers are small, with five white petals, produced in panicles. The fruit is a pod containing a single seed. The timber is desirable, but difficult to work.
Distribution
The species of the genus range from southeastern Brazil through northern South America, Panama, Costa Rica, and Trinidad, with the majority of species in the
Wood
The trees are prized for their beautiful
Uses and hazards
Purpleheart is prized for use in fine inlay work especially on musical instruments, guitar fret boards (although rarely), woodturning, cabinetry, flooring, and furniture.
Purpleheart presents a number of challenges in the woodshop. Its hard-to-detect interlocking grain makes hand-planing, chiseling and working with carving tools a challenge. However, woodturners can note that with sharp tools, it turns clean, and sands well.
Exposure to the dust generated by cutting and sanding purpleheart can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and nausea, possibly because of the presence of
Species
The following list of species is according to Plants of the World Online.[8]
- Peltogyne altissima Ducke
- Peltogyne angustiflora Ducke
- Peltogyne campestris Ducke
- Peltogyne catingae Ducke
- Peltogyne chrysopis Barneby
- Peltogyne crenulata Afr.Fern.
- Peltogyne discolor Vogel
- Peltogyne excelsa Ducke
- Peltogyne floribunda (Kunth) Pittier
- Peltogyne gracilipes Ducke
- Peltogyne heterophylla M.F.Silva
- Peltogyne lecointei Ducke
- Peltogyne maranhensis Ducke
- Peltogyne mattosiana Rizzini
- Peltogyne mexicana Martinez
- Peltogyne paniculata Benth.
- Peltogyne paradoxa Ducke
- Peltogyne parvifolia Benth.
- Peltogyne pauciflora Benth.
- Peltogyne prancei M.F.Silva
- Peltogyne purpurea Pittier
- Peltogyne recifensis Ducke
- Peltogyne subsessilis W.A.Rodrigues
- Peltogyne venosa (M.Vahl) Benth.
Gallery
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Peltogyne sp. -MHNT
References
- JSTOR 1221525.
- ^ ISSN 1607-6079.
- ^ "Purpleheart - Peltogyne - Madera Sudamerica -Consorcio forestal". Maderasdesudamerica.com.
- ^ "PURPLEHEART-PELTOGYNE".
- ISBN 978-1-895569-75-9.
- ^ Peltogyne in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database
- OCLC 763016897.
- ^ Peltogyne in POWO; last accessed 10 April 2021
- "Peltogyne". LegumeWeb. International Legume Database.
- Virtual Flora of Guyana: Peltogyne herbarium photos
- "Peltogyne purpurea". Especies de Costa Rica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
- Baker, Mark (2004). Wood for Woodturners. Sussex: Guild of Master Craftsmen Publications. ISBN 1-86108-324-6.
- Media related to Peltogyne at Wikimedia Commons