48- Copaíba - Copaifera langsdorffii Desf (Leguminosae)

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Tree up to 35 m tall, with alternating leaves, composed of 3 to 5 leaflets, both opposite and alternate, without hairiness and with reddish buds. The flowers are white, small, hermaphroditic, gathered in terminal panicles. The fruits are of the follicle type with a black seed surrounded by an orange colored aryl.

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The scientific name of this elegant tree refers to the Baron of Langsdorff and his famous expedition. It was the 19th century, the height of scientific and artistic expeditions, and he was responsible for bringing the painter Johann Moritz Rugendas to Brazil, who ended up falling out with the Baron, and resigned and started to travel on his own. The expedition continued and the Baron marked his name on the plant, while following another route, Rugendas with his refined drawings, made precious records of the landscapes where it existed, before disappearing forever with the development of the country. Certainly these places are gone together as a wide variety of species that we will never know.

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Copaiba, which was once more common, still resists.

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Distribution: From Pará, Tocantins and Ceará to Paraná. typical in transition zones between the cerrado and the Atlantic forest.

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Situation in São Paulo: Used in sparse urban landscaping, rare in the city.

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How to plant: I share with my friend Tiago Queiroz the taste for hardcore and plants. Tiago keeps waking up seeds of rare plants, such as copaiba, which he leaves in a glass of water overnight and then, with the soft shell, scratches the seed. After that, just plant it, but when in doubt he puts his old Corrosion of Conformity vinyl high. If the plant liked the music, I don't know, but it germinated, grew and was planted in the Cerrado Infnito.

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Uses: Produces proven medicinal oil, as well as being used as a melifer and for landscaping. Yellow dye is extracted from the peels for dyeing.

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ALMEIDA, SP DE ET AL. CERRADO: USEFUL VEGETABLE SPECIES. PLANALTINA: EMBRAPA-CPAC, V. 464, 1998

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PEDRONI, F .; SANCHEZ, M .; SANTOS, FAM PHENOLOGY OF COPAÍBA (COPAIFERA LANGSDORFFII DESF. – LEGUMINOSAE, CAESALPINIOIDEAE) IN A SEMIDECIDUAL FOREST IN SOUTHEAST BRAZIL. BRAZILIAN BOTANICAL REVIEW, V. 25, N. 2, P. 183-194, 2002.

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SCATIGNA, ANDRÉ VITO ET AL. KEY FOR IDENTIFICATION BASED ON VEGETATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF WOODY ANGIOSPERMS FROM THE CERRADOS DE ITIRAPINA (SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL).

DIENER, COSTA. RUGENDAS E BRASIL, CAPIVARA, (SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL) .2012.