Schinopsis balansae
| Schinopsis balansae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Source: Libro del Árbol, Tome II, Celulosa Argentina S. A., Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Mr. Jorge Vallmitjana | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Schinopsis |
| Species: | S. balansae |
| Binomial name | |
| Schinopsis balansae Engl. | |
Schinopsis balansae is a hardwood tree known as willow-leaf red quebracho[1] which forms forests in the subtropical Gran Chaco ecoregion of north-eastern Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found in the wild Pantanal vegetation in Brazil. Some of its vernacular names are quebracho colorado chaqueño and quebracho santafesino. Other species, like Schinopsis lorentzii, bear the general name quebracho and have similar properties and uses. S. balansae shares its habitat with a species of the same genus, S. heterophylla, and the two are often confused.
This tree can reach 24 metres in height and more than one metre in diameter. Its trunk is straight, with a brownish-gray bark. Its wood is extremely heavy (relative density = 1.2). Its main use is the extraction of quebracho extract, which is 63% pure tannin.
The tree was declared Argentina's "National Forest Tree" in 1956.[2]
Chemistry
Leuco-fisetinidin, a flavan-3,4-diol (leucoanthocyanidin) and a monomer of the condensed tannins called profisetinidins, can be extracted from the heartwoods of S. balansae.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "USDA GRIN Taxonomy". Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ↑ "Declárase "Arbol Forestal Nacional" al (Schinopsis Balansea Engl) "Quebracho colorado chaqueño"" (in Spanish). Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación. 1956-08-21. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ↑ Roux, DG; Evelyn, SR (October 1958). "Condensed tannins. 2. Biogenesis of condensed tannins based on leucoanthocyanins". Biochem. J. 70: 344–9. PMC 1196676
. PMID 16748787. doi:10.1042/bj0700344.
- Americas Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Costa Rica, November 1996) (1998). "Schinopsis balansae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 12 May 2006.
- Pott, A.; Pott, V.J. (1994). Plantas do Pantanal. (Plants of Pantanal) (in Portuguese). EMBRAPA. ISBN 85-85007-36-2
