| General Description | Copaiba is usually an evergreen tree with a dense and round crown. This species is found as a shrub or tree. It will depend on the region, the species and where it is planted as it can be found in the forest, or used for landscape design. In the forests Copaiba can grow to 35 m high, and when planted for landscape purposes it grows up to 18 m high. It is found in South America and it’s one of the most important medicinal plants in Brazil, living until 400 years old.
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| ID Characteristic | Identified by the flowers, which are small, white with pink spots and arranged in panicles. Its fruit, which contains an ovoid seed is surrounded by an orange aril. When young the plant has light pink foliage. The tree shows pinnate, composite leaves, with eight, 6 cm leaflets.
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| Shape | The shape is usually a dense and round crown. It is wide but with little foliage. |
| Landscape | Cultivated in parks or as a street tree, however, in this scenario the plant cannot grow as tall, achieving only 15-18 m instead of the 50 m in its native habitat.
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| Propagation | Germination takes 35 days to occur and most of the seeds are sown just after they are harvested, while a few are sown 30 days after. Although this timeline is mentioned in some studies. For landscape purposes, studies show that the best alternative to achieve better rates of germination is dipping the seeds in sulfuric acid. This alternative might reduce at least 7 days from the propagation time and guarantee a significant increase in germination rates.
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| Cultivation | Although some research shows that this tree can be cultivated in a sandy, loamy or clay soil, this tree prefers a well-drained soil. It will usually be found on the shore of lakes and streams, where there is high humidity and a minimum temperature that does not fall much below 13°C. It is suitable for acid, neutral and alkaline soils, tolerating a pH range of 4 – 7. It can grow in full or semi-shade and can tolerate drought.
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| Pests | During the rainy period, termites and galling insects can be found in this tree, but it is uncommon.
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| Notable Specimens | It is possible to see this important tree in many cities and parks in Brazil, mainly in Sao Paulo, which is a large and important economical city in Brazil.
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| Habitat | Copaiba is commonly found, in a higher concentration, in Latin America in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. According to the book Index Kewensis from the University of Oxford (USA), the Copaifera genus has 72 species belonging to the Fabaceae family, of which 16 species are found in Brazil, mainly in Amazon Forest and Midwest South America.
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| Bark/Stem Description | The trunk has a diameter from 50 cm - 4 m. The evergreen crown may be straight or tortuous, and the rhytidome is usually rough, scaly, and dark brown. The young branches are usually angular and have longitudinal striations, which can be glabrous or pubescent.
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| Leaf Description | Composite, alternate, paripinnate, with six pairs of leaflets. They measure up to 5 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The new, light pink foliage is very decorative and important for identification and becomes green through time.
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| Flower Description | The flowers have absent petals, sessile or subsessile and white. The cup is a tetramer forming a short tube, which merges with a small disk, the sepals varying in width. There are 10 stamens and a laterally compressed ovary with a filiform stylet. The flowers are small, white with pink spots and arranged in a panicle. Copaiba blooms especially during the rainy season, from January to April. Pollinated by bees. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit contains a single, ovoid seed surrounded by an abundant and colourful aril. The seeds are dispersed by birds such as the tucanuçu, gralha-do-campo, and sabia. Its canopy offers shelter for several animals such as mono-charcoal monkeys and small rodents. It fruits from May to September.
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| Colour Description | The leaves do not change their colour in the seasons, the only important consideration is that the new foliage is light pink, turning to green in most adult trees. The flowers are small, white with pink spots and its fruit contains an ovoid seed surrounded by an abundant and orange aril. The bark is not so attractive, however, the wood has a beautiful reddish colour.
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| Texture Description | The leaves present medium texture and do not change their texture or shape.
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