National Symbols

of

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

The data below are from a collection of sources, some of the composers, designers, and publishers etc have been forgotten and or not recorded properly.  Therefore, my apology to any person and or "entity" etc who / which are not properly acknowledged for the appropriate design, composition, and or published data below. 

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The National Tree

Texts below are based on data taken from:

http://webserv.bahamaseducation.com/index.html and

http://www.wetings.com/home.htm on 11 Nov 2003

Lignum Vitae Flowers                                         Lignum Vitae Tree via www.bio.miami.edu                       

Lignum Vitae

(Guaiacum Officinale)

The Lignum vitae, which means tree of life, belongs to the genus Guaicum (caltrop family or Zygophyllaceae). 

The extremely hard and heavy self-lubricating wood is especially adapted for bearings or bushings of propeller shafts on steamships, and also serves for bearings in steel mills, for bowling balls, and pulleys. For many years, dating back to World War II, shipments of the wood were made from The Bahamas to the United Kingdom and the United States by the old New Providence firm of Duncombe and Butler.  The wood is used for timber in boat building (e.g. in Andros); the bark and roots are used for medicine - many Bahamians throughout the islands steep the bark and drink it as a tonic for creating energy as an aphrodisiac.  The branches are used as feed for live stock.  A few years ago, when the pope visited The Bahamas, he was presented with a fashionable staff, made from the Lignum Vitae wood.

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C. I. Gibson Senior High School, Marathon Estates, Marathon Road, Nassau, N. P., Bahamas

  Voice 1: (242) 393-0743; Voice 2: (242) 3933623; Fax: (242) 3933534

© 2004-2012

www.BahamasSchools.com

Site designed by Adrian S. Johnson

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