Courbaril

The courbaril ( Hymenaea courbaril ) is a tropical Arbre of South America whose wood required for its mechanical qualities and is exploited. One finds it under the name of jatoba in many countries.

Fresh pulp is appreciated raw at the time of stroll in forest. In Brazil, it is transformed into powder before entering various preparations (drinks, etc). In popular medicine, one uses the bark and the resin (copal) which exude trunk and roots.

Habitat and requirements

Native of tropical America, one also finds it in the Antilles, the Central America and of the South.

Description

The jatoba is an immense tree of canopée, rising with more than 30 meters in height in the Amazon forest. The trunk is cylindrical. Its alternate sheets of a bright green are made up of two asymmetrical leaflets. Its white and odorous flowers are gathered in bunch. flowering with place between April and May. The fruits are very hard, long and round pods at the ends, of color dark coffee, 9 to 14 cm length and contain one to eight seeds hidden in a pulp farinaceous, yellowish, sweetened with the odor and savor musky. These fruits are regarded as being edible although not very good - moreover one of the common nouns of Jatoba is the stinking toe or “feet which puent”…

Hymenaea, whose jatoba, produce resin. One found amber of Jatoba besides, which proves that their existence goes back to good a long time.

Use of wood

Its wood of heart is brown with red purplished or orange with brown purplished, almost black with veins or without veins. Wood is very hard and very required in cabinet work for its mechanical qualities. Its density is of 0,71-0,82-0,9 g/cm ³. The barrels measure from 10 to 25 meters length, their diameter is from 0,50 to 0,90 Mr. The wire is right, veining is marked. Its work is rather difficult but the result is very beautiful.

Use as a medicinal plant

Courbaril is used for a long time by the Indian tribes of Amazonia . It was recorded in the Brazilian herbal medicine in 1930. It was initially described by Dr. J. Monteiro Silva which recommended it in the diarrheas, the dysenteries, the asthenia, the intestinal gases, the dyspepsia, the hématurie and the hemoptysy.

Secretions of Courbaril called " Gum copal " , are used as drug, but also as varnished which were very estimated by the Amerindian companies and néocoloniales.

Synonym and common nouns

Courbaril or Jatoba is known under very many other names, here is a list:

  • Synonymous: Hymenaea will animifera, H. candolleana, H. will multiflora, H. will resinifera, H. retusa, H. stilbocarpa, Inga megacarpa

  • Common nouns: Caroubier of the Antilles, Brazilian Cherry tree (Brazilian cherry), Jatoba, Jatobá, Stinking toe and Stinking tree, Algarrobo, Azucar huayo, Jataí, Copal, Brazilian copal, Courbaril, Nazareno, Cayenne copal, Demarara copal, Gum animee, Pea jam, Guapinol, Guapinole, Loksi, South American locust, Red locus, Locust, Copinol, Kawanari and Rode locus.

Caption

In the Antilles a legend tells that at the fallen night, if one places oneself between a Cheesemonger and Courbaril (whose sheets are put by two the night) and which one emits the wish of being able to go where good seems to us, this wish will be carried out…

External bonds

  • very complete Jatoba Card on medicinal virtue on www.rain-tree.com
  • Card on its fruit on caribfruits.cirad.fr

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