Dictionary Definition
camwood n : small shrubby African tree with hard
wood used as a dyewood yielding a red dye [syn: African
sandalwood, Baphia
nitida]
Extensive Definition
Camwood (Baphia nitida), also known as African
sandalwood, is a shrubby, hard-wooded African tree. Its
wood is commonly used to make a red dye. The earliest dye wood (Camwood)
was from West Africa.
The source of the dye, which is soluble in alkali, is the bark and heart of
the tree.