Lignum vitae

Lignum Vitae, Latin for "wood of life," is a tropical American evergreen tree of the genus Guajacum. The hard, dense, and durable wood, obtained chiefly from G. officinale and G. sanctum, is important for ship construction and other uses requiring strength and hardness. The trees are grown in Florida and California for ornament. They also yield guajacum[?], a gum resin used in certain drugs.

Lignum vitae is the national flower of Jamaica.

Various other hardwoods of Australasia (e.g., the acacia and eucalyptus) are also called lignum vitae.

Placement

• Kingdom Plantae -- plants
• Subkingdom Tracheobionta
• Superdivision Spermatophyta
• Division Magnoliophyta -- angiosperms, flowering plants
• Class Magnoliopsida -- dicotyledons
• Subclass Rosidae
• Order Sapindales
• Family Zygophyllaceae[?]
• Genus Guajacum