The bloodwood tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) is a deciduous tree with a high canopy, reaching about 15m in height and has dark bark. The red sap is used traditionally as a dye and in some areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood, apparently because of its close resemblance to blood. The name bloodwood for these trees stems from the dark red to brown sap that accumulates on wounds on the trunks.

A nurse holds a painting of Prime Minister Boris Johnson clapping with blood on his hands as part of a demonstration of NHS workers at hospitals across London to demand a 15 per cent pay rise by the government in London, Wednesday, August 26, 2020.(Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)

Roma's Gianluca Mancini scores his team's goal in the 1-0 Rome derby victory over Lazio at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy on April 6, 2024. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Reuters)

Naked activists for animal rights, covered in fake blood, perform during a protest against the use of fur and leather, at Catalunya Square in Barcelona, Spain, December 16, 2018. (Photo by Albert Gea/Reuters)

A cat receives acupuncture treatment in Shanghai, China on August 21, 2017. Traditional practitioners believe acupuncture of the body can stimulate blood circulation to promote healing and relieve some aches and pains. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

A man carries a blood stained stretcher in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria January 10, 2016. (Photo by Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)