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<big>''[[Copaifera religiosa]]'' J.Léonard</big>

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Copaifera religiosa'' (PROTA)}}

:Protologue: Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat 19: 398 (1949).

:Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae)

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

Bark and roots contain tannin. A dichloromethane bark extract has shown in-vitro antiplasmodial activity against ''Plasmodium falciparum'', while the methanol extract was inactive. The dichloromethane bark extract also showed considerable in-vitro cytotoxicity.

Large tree up to 45 m tall; bole branchless for up to 30 m, straight and cylindrical, up to 200 cm in diameter, thickened at the base, without buttresses; bark surface smooth or finely scaly, orange to reddish brown, inner bark fibrous, brittle, pale yellow, aromatic; crown umbrella-shaped; twigs short-hairy but soon becoming glabrous. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound with 10–16 leaflets; stipules minute, early caducous; petiole and rachis 10–20 cm long, grooved above; petiolules 2–5 mm long, twisted; leaflets alternate, oblong to elliptical or obovate, 2.5–6.5 cm × 1.5–3.5 cm, base slightly asymmetrical and rounded or cuneate, apex rounded to notched, leathery, nearly glabrous, with translucent dots, pinnately veined with c. 20 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence an axillary raceme up to 19 cm long, with spike-like branches 2(–6) cm long, densely hairy. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, white, nearly sessile, with 2 small, caducous bracteoles; sepals 4, ovate-lanceolate, c. 4 mm × 2–3 mm, 1 broader than other 3, densely hairy; petals absent or sometimes 4 present and then 1–2 mm long; stamens 8–10, free, c. 5 mm long; ovary superior, sessile, hairy at base and sides, 1-celled, style c. 3 mm long. Fruit an ellipsoid to nearly globose pod 3–5 cm × 2–3.5 cm, slightly flattened, leathery, rough, glabrous to hairy, blackish, somewhat shiny, covered with small resin droplets, dehiscent with 2 valves, 1-seeded. Seeds oblong, with a red aril.

''Copaifera'' comprises about 40 species, of which about 35 occur in tropical America, 4 in Africa and 1 in tropical Asia. ''Copaifera'' seems closely related to ''Baikiaea'', ''Detarium'', ''Sindora'' and ''Tessmannia''.

== Ecology ==

* ATIBT (Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux), 1986. Tropical timber atlas: Part 1 – Africa. ATIBT, Paris, France. 208 pp.

== Other references ==

* ATIBT (Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux), 2007. Statistiques. La lettre de l’ATIBT 26: 38–52.

== Author(s) ==

== Correct citation of this article ==

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