''Ptaeroxylon obliquum'' is the botanical name for the sneezewood tree. It is native to
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...
, including
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
,
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
, and
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. It is the only species in the genus ''Ptaeroxylon''.
Background
''Ptaeroxylon obliquum'' is a species from the family Rutaceae which are most abundant in South Africa and Australia.
The term ''ptaeroxylon'' is Greek for sneeze and wood,
while ''obliquum'' denotes the oblique shape of the leaflets. The wood produces oils containing
nieshoutol, which causes violent
sneeze
A sneeze (also known as sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. A sneeze expels air forcibly from the mouth and ...
attacks by workers who are exposed to the tree.
Though sneezewood is not
poisonous
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
, it has been known to cause respiratory complications. It has been linked to
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
,
rhinitis
Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip.
The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irrita ...
and mucosal inflammation.
Description
left, 200px, foliage
left, 200px, male flowers
''Ptaeroxylon obliquum'' is a shrub or medium deciduous tree that stands up to tall.
The bark is whitish-grey and smooth when young, but fissured with age. Leaflets are 2.5 x 1.3 cm marked asymmetrically. They are blue-green to dark green in color and crowd near the ends of the rachis in three to seven pairs of leaflets. The flowers on the tree are white to creamy yellow and fragrant.
Sneezewood is very dense having a
specific gravity
Relative density, or specific gravity, is the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water at its densest ...
of 1040 kg/m
3
Uses
Lumber
Sneezewood is an extremely hard and durable
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...
wood. It often lasts longer than
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
or
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...
when used for machine
bearings.
In the past, sneezewood was used extensively for
railway sleepers. It can also be used to make
furniture. In
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
it is used to make
xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...
keys.
Sneezewood is a very attractive wood with golden
heartwood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
with light orange figures and is a favorite amongst
woodturners.
Its scarcity today is due in part of its past use as
fuel for
steam tugs.
It has been used extensively for
fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
and
telegraph pole
A utility pole is a column or post typically made out of wood used to support overhead power lines and various other public utilities, such as electrical cable, fiber optic cable, and related equipment such as transformers and street lights. It c ...
s as well.
Medicinal
Sneezewood is used for medicinal and ritual purposes. The bark can be used to repel moths or as snuff. The resin has been used to get rid of warts and cattle ticks.
The
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
have traditionally made
snuff
Snuff may refer to:
Tobacco
* Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose
** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco
** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste
Media and entertainment
* Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder
Literat ...
from sneeze-wood to relieve
headaches
Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.
Headaches can occur as a result ...
.
See also
*
Southern African Sand Forest
Southern African Sand Forest is a sand forest, or a subtropical forest plant community of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome. It grows on ancient sand dunes in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique. In South Africa ...
References
[
"Rue." ''Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition'' (2009): 1. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.
]
[
]
[
Anderson M.D., Mark. "Toxic Woods and Occupational Lung Diseases." ''Fine Art Photography''. Riparia, 1 May 2000. Web. 11 Mar. 2010.
]
[
Roux, Dr. J.P. "Ptaeroxylon Obliquum." ''Aluka'', 2003. Web. 03 Ma ..2010.
]
[
"Ptaeroxylon Oblique", ''Flora of Zimbabwe''. Zimbabwe flora, 14 Feb. 2009. Web. 11 Mar 2010.
]
[
Peter Schirmer, The Concise Illustrated South African Encyclopedia 1980, Central News Agency Ltd,
]
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q311852, from2=Q15930617
Cneoroideae
Monotypic Rutaceae genera
Flora of Southern Africa
Flora of South Africa
Flora of Zimbabwe
Flora of Mozambique
Trees of Africa
Wood