Guaiacum officinale
Roughbark lignum vitae
Guaiacum officinale, commonly known as Guaiacum or Lignum Vitae, is a renowned medicinal tree native to the Caribbean. Historically prized for its resin, it has been utilized in traditional medicine to treat respiratory ailments, rheumatism, and inflammatory conditions, offering potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties essential to holistic healing.
- Scientific name: Guaiacum officinale
- Family: Zygophyllaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae in the order Zygophyllales, falling within the family Zygophyllaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Guaiacum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Zygophyllales | WCVP |
| Family | Zygophyllaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Guaiacum | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Guaiacum officinale, is referred to by various common names depending on the language and region. In Arabic, it is called جياك طبي, while in Catalan, it is known as guaiac. It is identified as جوآیاکوم آفیشینال in Persian and as Gwajakowiec lekarski in Polish. Additionally, in Russian, the plant is commonly called Гваяковое дерево.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ar | جياك طبي | Wikidata |
| ca | guaiac | Wikidata |
| fa | جوآیاکوم آفیشینال | Wikidata |
| pl | Gwajakowiec lekarski | Wikidata |
| ru | Гваяковое дерево | Wikidata |
| sl | navadni gvajak | Wikidata |
| th | แก้วเจ้าจอม | Wikidata |
| cs | guajak léčivý | Wikidata |
| et | Harilik guajakipuu | Wikidata |
| ja | ユソウボク | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide and scattered geographical distribution across several oceanic and continental regions. Within the Middle Atlantic Ocean, its presence can be noted on the remote island of Ascension. Moving toward Asia, it is found within the Indo-China region, specifically in Vietnam. Its Pacific range extends from the Mariana Islands in the Northwestern Pacific to the islands of Hawaii in the North-Central Pacific. Finally, its reach includes the Southeastern United States, where it grows in Florida.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic Ocean | Ascension | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
| Northwestern Pacific | Marianas | WCVP |
| North-Central Pacific | Hawaii | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Florida | WCVP |
| Central America | Honduras | WCVP |
| Central America | Panamá | WCVP |
| Caribbean | Aruba | WCVP |
| Caribbean | Bahamas | WCVP |
| Caribbean | Cayman Is. | WCVP |
Activities
Guaiacum officinale has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Cytotoxic.
- Total activities
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Guaiacum officinale has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include adjuvant arthritis, breast cancer.
- Total uses
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| adjuvant arthritis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |