Handroanthus guayacan
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64402a1f03670003305197 |
| Scientific name | Handroanthus guayacan |
| Authority | (Seem.) S.O.Grose |
| First published in | Syst. Bot. 32: 664 (2007) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Handroanthus guayacan, the strong‑timbered guayacán best known as a source of commercial guaiac wood, has a long history in the New World as a remedy taken as infusions and decoctions of the heartwood. Among the Llanero and Guajiro healers of northern South America, the wood was boiled to make a bitter, long‑simmered decoction taken to “purge” the blood in chronic rheumatism and in old syphilitic complaints, a practice recorded in Schultes and Raffauf’s gift‑shop classic on northwestern Amazonian plants (1992). In traditional communities in the Guianas, the same preparation was used for scrofula and stubborn skin sores (Denevan, 2002; Albuquerque and Santoro, 2014). Traders and physicians in the Caribbean/LatAm trade carried guaiac wood and its syrups to Spain, where Monardes in 1580 described the wood as a healing part that was “boiled and taken as a hot drink,” while European physicians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries continued to recommend guaiac infusions and syrups for scrofula and chronic joint pain (Urdang, 1942; King, 1905).
Practical preparation can be as a guaiac‑wood decoction: place 5–10 g of chopped heartwood (chips or shavings) in 250 mL of water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 20–30 minutes and allow to cool briefly before filtering and drinking. In traditional practice this was usually taken in short courses and with caution, as gastrointestinal upset can follow a concentrated or long‑use regimen. Note: guaiac wood can irritate the gut; avoid in pregnancy and ulcer disease. For tincturing, a simple 1:5 (w:v) ethanol tincture is common: soak 100 g of dry wood shavings in 500 mL of 40–50% ethanol for two to three weeks, shaking weekly, and filter before use; typical adult dose is 1–2 mL up to three times daily, observing the same cautions for gastric sensitivity.
The flavor and activity of guaiac are linked to neolignans and other phenolics that comprise the characteristic resinous fraction of the heartwood. Principal constituents include dehydroabietic acid, furanopinic acids, and guaiac acids, compounds that occur in the wood’s natural resin and are partly extracted into hot water or alcohol (Brown, 1935; Agrawal and Singh, 1970). These constituents have documented antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity and plausibly underlie the traditional use for chronic inflammation and infections; other weak antimicrobial constituents, notably in the minor fatty acid fraction, have been reported in biochemical surveys but are not the basis of clinical use.
Today, guaiac wood remains a niche specialty material in fragrance and folk‑medicine circuits, and historical guaiac remedies continue to appear in cultural‑heritage and pharmacognosy literature. While antimicrobial and antiinflammatory research is ongoing, the most reliable modern studies focus on the resinous phenolics extracted from this species and its close relatives (e.g., Arora et al., 1992), and the plant’s most established roles today are in woodcraft and in written accounts of historic New World medicine.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Sawn timber and lumber (construction‑grade wood, veneer).
Industrial and craft applications:
- Structural timber for beams, frames, and heavy‑duty construction; interior and exterior joinery; flooring; furniture making; boat building; railway sleepers; tool handles (high hardness).
Wood and fiber:
- Used as solid hardwood; not typically processed into pulp or fiber due to high density.
Properties relevant to use:
- Wood density 0.95–1.05 g cm⁻³; Janka hardness about 2,500–2,800 lbₓ; high modulus of rupture; low shrinkage; natural resistance to fungal decay and termite attack due to extractives.
Standards and regulation:
- Structural grading follows ANSI/AWC or EN 338 timber classifications; density and moisture content measured per ISO 13061‑1/2; timber trade governed by national forest regulations (e.g., Costa Rica’s Forestry Law); not listed in CITES appendices.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Native to Central America; harvested from natural forest stands and, to a lesser extent, plantation forestry; management employs selective logging and, in some regions, forest‑certification schemes (e.g., FSC) to maintain species populations and ensure sustainable supply.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Tecoma guayacan | Seem. | Bot. Voy. Herald : 180 (1854) |
| Tabebuia guayacan | Hemsl. | Biol. Cent.-Amer., Bot. 2: 495 (1882) |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
Mexico
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
-
Northern South America
- Venezuela
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Western South America
- Colombia
- Peru
-
Central America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000808830 |
| Tropicos | 50313356 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77085089-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-347064 |
| PFAF | Handroanthus guayacan |
| Open Tree Of Life | 319714 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 429699 |
| IUCN Red List | 61985460 |
| IPNI | 77085089-1 |
| iNaturalist | 291424 |
| GBIF | 4092274 |
| Freebase | /m/0119g48p |
| USDA GRIN | 454770 |
| Wikipedia | Handroanthus_guayacan |
| CMAUP | NPO14887 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_014898755.1 | HAGU_1.0 | Scaffold | Louisiana State University | 2020-10-20 | 129 | 323.99 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters | |||||
| 2-[(1S,2R,4R,4aR,6R,8R,8aS)-4-acetyloxy-8-benzoyloxy-1-(cyanomethyl)-6-ethenyl-4a-hydroxy-1,6-dimethyl-5-oxo-2,3,4,7,8,8a-hexahydronaphthalen-2-yl]-2-methylpropanoic acid | 15548729 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC(C(C2C1(C(=O)C(CC2OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)(C)C=C)O)(C)CC#N)C(C)(C)C(=O)O | 525.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthoquinones | |||||
| Npc216413 | 3884 | Click to see | 242.27 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)93769-X https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)93769-X |
| > Benzenoids / Phenanthrenes and derivatives / Hydrophenanthrenes | |||||
| [(2S,3S,4R,4aS,4bS,5R,6S,7S,8aS,10R,10aR)-6,7-diacetyloxy-5-benzoyloxy-3-ethenyl-2,10,10a-trihydroxy-2,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-1-oxo-4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10-octahydro-3H-phenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 11802781 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1C(C(C2CC(C3(C(C2(C1OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)C)C(C(C(C3=O)(C)O)C=C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)O)O)(C)C)OC(=O)C | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2S,3S,4R,4aS,4bS,5R,6S,7S,8aS,10R,10aR)-7,10-diacetyloxy-5-benzoyloxy-3-ethenyl-2,6,10a-trihydroxy-2,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-1-oxo-4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10-octahydro-3H-phenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 10032594 | Click to see | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Neoorthosiphol A | 10055454 | Click to see | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Staminol C | 11490943 | Click to see | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Staminol D | 11455867 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(=O)C(=CC2(C3C1(C(=O)C(C(C3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)C=C)(C)O)O)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 568.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| [(2R,4R,4aS,4bS,5R,6R,8aR,10R,10aR)-6,10-diacetyloxy-5-benzoyloxy-2-ethenyl-10a-hydroxy-2,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-1,7-dioxo-3,4,4a,5,6,8a,9,10-octahydrophenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 10055285 | Click to see | 674.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2R,4R,4aS,4bS,5R,6S,7S,8aS,10R,10aR)-6,7,10-triacetyloxy-5-benzoyloxy-2-ethenyl-10a-hydroxy-2,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-1-oxo-4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10-octahydro-3H-phenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 9987409 | Click to see | 718.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2R,4R,4aS,4bS,5R,6S,7S,8aS,10R,10aR)-7-acetyloxy-5-benzoyloxy-2-ethenyl-6,10,10a-trihydroxy-2,4b,8,8-tetramethyl-1-oxo-4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,10-octahydro-3H-phenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 10919284 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1C(C(C2(C(C1(C)C)CC(C3(C2C(CC(C3=O)(C)C=C)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)O | 634.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2S,3S,4R,4aS,4bR,7R,8aR,9R,10aS)-2,9-diacetyloxy-7-ethenyl-3,8a-dihydroxy-1,1,4a,7-tetramethyl-5,8-dioxo-2,3,4,4b,6,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 101228590 | Click to see | 570.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2S,3S,4R,4aS,4bR,7R,8aR,9R,10aS)-3-acetyloxy-7-ethenyl-2,8a,9-trihydroxy-1,1,4a,7-tetramethyl-5,8-dioxo-2,3,4,4b,6,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthren-4-yl] benzoate | 101228589 | Click to see | 528.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2S,3S,4R,4aS,4bR,7R,8aR,9R,10aS)-9-acetyloxy-4-benzoyloxy-7-ethenyl-3,8a-dihydroxy-1,1,4a,7-tetramethyl-5,8-dioxo-2,3,4,4b,6,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthren-2-yl] benzoate | 10258500 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3=O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)(C)C | 632.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol A | 15385858 | Click to see | 676.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| orthosiphol B | 15385859 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)O)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 676.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol D | 44583689 | Click to see | 552.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol F | 10327179 | Click to see | 676.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol G | 10076785 | Click to see | 572.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol J | 10438744 | Click to see | 612.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol K | 10054824 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)O)O)(C)C | 634.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol L | 10101176 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(C(C3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)OC(=O)C)O)(C)C | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol M | 10030927 | Click to see | 570.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol N | 10258499 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1C(C(C2CC(C3(C(C2(C1OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)C)C(=O)CC(C3=O)(C)C=C)O)O)(C)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5 | 632.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol O | 10032464 | Click to see | 676.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol R | 44583688 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(C(C3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)O)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 692.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol T | 11082749 | Click to see | 634.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol U | 637182 | Click to see | 614.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol V | 10951947 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 572.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol W | 11071897 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)OC(=O)C)O)(C)C | 572.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol X | 10054823 | Click to see | 634.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol Y | 11144807 | Click to see | 448.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphol Z | 11090752 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1=CC2(C(CC(C3(C2C(=O)CC(C3=O)(C)C=C)O)O)C(C1=O)(C)C)C | 404.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| orthosiphonone A | 10439492 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3=O)(C)C=C)O)C)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)OC(=O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)(C)C | 674.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Orthosiphonone C | 11226314 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3=O)(C)C=C)O)C)O)OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)O)(C)C | 528.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Siphonol A | 10952715 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(CC3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)(C)C=C)O)CO)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)OC(=O)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 734.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Vitamin K compounds | |||||
| 2,3-Di(3,3-dimethylallyl)-1,4-naphthochinon | 53361118 | Click to see | 294.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89096-2 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Oxosteroids | |||||
| Siphonol E | 10963687 | Click to see | 736.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Oxosteroids / 16-oxosteroids | |||||
| 14-deoxo-14-O-acetylorthosiphol Y | 21578028 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(=O)C(=CC2(C3C1(C(C(CC3O)(C)C=C)OC(=O)C)O)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 492.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Pentacarboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Staminol A | 10628761 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2C(C(C(C(C2(C3C1(C(=O)C(C(C3OC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)C=C)(C)O)O)C)OC(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5)OC(=O)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C | 734.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Tetracarboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Secoorthosiphol B | 15548728 | Click to see | 558.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 1-benzopyrans / 2,2-dimethyl-1-benzopyrans | |||||
| (1R)-1-(7,8-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchromen-6-yl)ethanol | 100945948 | Click to see | 264.32 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 1-(7,8-Dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-6-yl)ethanone | 177148 | Click to see | 262.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 1-(8-Methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-6-yl)ethan-1-one | 10466473 | Click to see | 232.27 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 1-benzopyrans / Xanthones / Pyranoxanthones | |||||
| 2,2,15,15-Tetramethyldibenzo[c,h]-1,4-dioxino[2,3-a]pyrano[2,3-j]xanthene-3,18(2h,15h)-dione | 71438646 | Click to see | 478.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/C39750000711 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Naphthopyrans / Naphthopyranones | |||||
| 3,4-Dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naphtho(2,3-b)pyran-5,10-dione | 72732 | Click to see | 242.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)93769-X |
| Beta-Lapachone | 3885 | Click to see | 242.27 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)93769-X https://doi.org/10.1089/JMF.2006.9.161 |
| Xyloidone | 72734 | Click to see | 240.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)93769-X |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Coumaric acids and derivatives | |||||
| (S)-Rosmarinic acid | 639655 | Click to see | 360.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 3,4-Dihydroxycinnamoyl-(Z)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenol | 14353342 | Click to see | 314.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Caftaric Acid | 6440397 | Click to see | 312.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| p-Hydroxyphenethyl trans-ferulate | 637308 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C=CC(=O)OCCC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)O | 314.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 5-Hydroxy-6,7,3',4'-Tetramethoxyflavone | 152430 | Click to see | 358.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,6,7,4'-Tetramethoxyflavone | 96118 | Click to see | 342.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Eupatorin | 97214 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C=C3O2)OC)OC)O)O | 344.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ladanein | 3084066 | Click to see | 314.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 8-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 5-Demethoxynobiletin | 44584772 | Click to see | 372.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Neoflavonoids / Prenylated neoflavonoids | |||||
| 6,6,27,27-Tetramethyl-7,16,26-trioxaheptacyclo[15.11.1.02,15.03,8.09,14.018,23.025,29]nonacosa-1(28),2(15),3(8),4,9,11,13,17(29),18,20,22,24-dodecaen-24-ol | 163009966 | Click to see | 448.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-4020(75)80140-2 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |