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Hymenaea verrucosa
Also called Madagascar Copal, Zanzibar Copal, East African Gum Copal
Hymenaea verrucosa (commonly known as Zanzibar copal, East African copal, or amber tree) is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the paraphyletic subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is a large tree native to the tropical regions of East Africa and is cultivated in many tropical parts of the world. The species is currently treated as a species of Hymenaea, though a few authors isolate it into a separate monospecific genus Trachylobium as Trachylobium verrucosum. It has formerly also been called Trachylobium hornemannianum.
Copal resin from Hymenaea verrucosa is used in incense. By the 18th century, Europeans found it to be a valuable ingredient in making a good wood varnish, and it became widely used in the manufacture of furniture and carriages. It was also sometimes used as a picture varnish.
Stinkingtoe · Hymenaea martiana · Hymenaea oblongifolia · Hymenaea stigonocarpa · Hymenaea torrei · Hymenaeas
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hymenaea verrucosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
