Haiti

In Haiti, one of the world’s stranger trees got its English name from sand.

The sandbox tree has toxic milky sap and fruits that can explode as they ripen, firing seeds through the air.

In Haiti, the sap was used in a traditional fishing method: it was mixed with sand and thrown into still water to temporarily stun fish.

The tree’s English name comes from a completely different use. Its hard fruit capsules were once turned into small containers for sand. Fine, dry sand was sprinkled over wet ink to absorb the excess and prevent the writing from smudging. The sand was then shaken off, collected back in the container and reused.

See also: United States — where sanders, containers for the same kind of writing sand, still remain in the Senate Chamber.