Haematoxylum brasiletto

The Guarijio used ‘brasil’ wood (Haematoxylum brasiletto) to make a dye for coloring palm for baskets. Rosary crosses were made from red heartwood, and the tree has a long history of medicinal uses.

Recent studies show extracts of Haematoxylum brasiletto inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, lending modern scientific credibility to traditional use.

‘Brasil’ is a legume, which makes it an important contributor to soil health. As an alternative to overharvesting of firewood it may be ecologically desirable to explore commercial value of extract for dye and medicinal properties. Brasil wood extract sells for $100 per kilogram, making commercialization a possibility.

Just today somebody offered me about 10 kilos of brasil for firewood for 8 pesos, or about 60 cents in US currency. 10 kilos of brasil can make one kilo of extract, so the woodcutter could make at least 10 times more money harvesting one tenth the amount of wood, if he sold extract instead of firewood. That would reduce harvesting as well as increase income enough to discourage lucrative yet ecologically destructive practices like cattle ranching or marijuana cultivation.