Guaiacum uses, including as lumber, for medicinal purposes, and as ornamentals. The trade of all species of "Guaiacum" is controlled under CITES Appendix II. "Guaiacum officinale" is the national flower of Jamaica, while "Guaiacum sanctum" is the national tree of the Bahamas. The genus is famous as the supplier of lignum vitae, which is the heartwood of several species in the genus. It is the fourth-hardest variety of wood as measured by the Janka hardness test, requiring a force of to embed a steel ball in diameter half that distance into the wood. The Spanish encountered guaiacum wood when they conquered
Leeb rebound hardness test was named “Equotip”, a phrase which still is used synonymously with “Leeb rebound” due to the wide circulation of the “Equotip” product. Traditional hardness measurements, "e.g.", those of Rockwell, Vickers, and Brinell, are stationary, requiring fixed workstations in segregated testing areas or laboratories. Most of the time, these methods are selective, involving destructive tests on samples. From individual results, these tests draw statistical conclusions for entire batches. The portability of Leeb testers can sometimes help to achieve higher testing rates without destruction of samples, which in turn simplifies processes and reduces cost. The traditional methods are based on well-defined physical