The French naturalist Lamarck, who became well known for his pioneer contribution to the theory of evolution, was the first to publish a botanically correct description of Pernambuco wood. In 1789, he named the species Caesalpina echinata, which is still valid today. Although succinct, his description gives the main characteristics, which permit recognition of the species and scientific publication. The botanical specimen, which Lamark used to make his description, of unknown origin, is deposited in the Natural History Museum of Paris.
The pioneer work of Frei Velozo entitled “Flora Fluminensis”, which includes the plants found in Rio de Janeiro and vicinity, was written near the end of the 18th century but was only published (partially) in 1829. This classic work describes and illustrates Pernambuco wood under the binomial Caesalpina vesicari. The use of this name is incorrect because it belongs to a plant Central America and the Caribbean, which was described by the Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus. In 1753, Frei Velozo examined a specimen from Itacurussa, on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro State, and description agrees in all respects with that presented by Lamarck for Caesalpina Echinata.