BRAZIL WOOD, a dye wood obtained from West Indian and South American trees belonging to the genera Caesalpinia and Peltophorum of the family Leguminosae. There are several woods, commercially distinguished as Brazil wood, Nicaragua or Peach wood, Pernambuco wood and Lima wood, each of which has a different commercial value, although the tinctorial principle they yield is similar. Brazil wood is imported for the use of dyers in billets of large size, and is a dense compact wood reddish brown in colour, bright when freshly cut, but becoming dull on exposure. The colouring-matter of Brazil wood, brazilin, C18H14O5, crystallizes with II and is soluble in water ; it is extracted for use by infusion or decoction of the coarsely powdered wood. When freshly prepared the extract is yellowish ; but by contact with the air, or the addition of an alkaline solution, it develops a brick-red colour. This is due to the formation of brazilein, which is the colouring matter used by the dyer.