Metopium brownei
| Metopium brownei | |
|---|---|
_(8201961557).jpg)
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Metopium |
| Species: | M. brownei
|
| Binomial name | |
| Metopium brownei | |
Metopium brownei (also known as chechem, chechen, or black poisonwood) is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]It is found in Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Cuba, Jamaica, northern Guatemala, Belize, and from the Yucatán to Veracruz in Mexico.
Description
[edit]Like its cousin, Metopium toxiferum, it produces urushiol in its bark, which can cause contact dermatitis; therefore, live trees and fresh cut logs should be handled carefully. The wood of this tree is a valuable source of lumber in Central America and the West Indies.
Folklore
[edit]In the Yucatec Maya oral tradition, the chechém (Metopium brownei) and chaka (Bursera simaruba) trees originate from the legend of two brothers, Kinch and Tizic. The brothers, who embodied opposing natures (one gentle and one wrathful), fell in love with the same woman, Nicté-Ha. Their bitter rivalry culminated in a fatal battle where they died in each other's arms. With their final breaths, they begged the gods to let them see Nicté-Ha one more time. In answer, the deities transformed them into adjacent trees - the poisonous chechém representing the violent brother and the medicinal chaka representing the peaceful one - while Nicté-Ha became their shared flower, forever binding the three together. [3]
References
[edit]- ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. (2019). "Metopium brownei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T61984043A149062143. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T61984043A149062143.en. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. (2019). "Metopium brownei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T61984043A149062143. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T61984043A149062143.en. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ Peck, John (2016-06-06). "The Incredible Coincidence of a Poisonous Tree Growing Next to Its Antidote". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
 | This Anacardiaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |