Handroanthus serratifolius
Species of tree
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Handroanthus serratifolius is a species of tree, commonly known as yellow lapacho, pau d'arco, yellow poui, yellow ipe, pau d'arco amarelo, or ipê-amarelo.[1][2] It is in the family Bignoniaceae.[3]
| Handroanthus serratifolius | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Bignoniaceae |
| Genus: | Handroanthus |
| Species: | H. serratifolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Handroanthus serratifolius (Vahl) S.O. Grose | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Bignonia serratifolia Vahl | |
Description
It is a tree native to forests throughout Central and South America. This plant grows in the cerrado vegetation of Brazil, reaching up to French Guiana, Bolivia, Paraguay and Northern Argentina.[4]
It is one of the largest and strongest of tropical forest trees, growing up to 150 feet (46 m) tall while the base can be 4–7 feet (1.2–2.1 m) in diameter.[citation needed]
Uses
It is a commercially farmed hardwood notable for its extreme hardness[5] and resistance to fire and pests.[citation needed] It is sometimes traded as an "ironwood", or just as "ipê" (the entire genus Tabebuia),[4] or as lapacho (properly Handroanthus serratifolius)
Chemistry
The bark of Handroanthus serratifolius contains chemical compounds including lapachol,[6] quercetin, and other flavonoids.[7]
National Flower of Brazil
The national flower of Brazil is the ipe-amarelo. The ipe-amarelo is actually a flowering tree that blooms in bright yellow flowers during the months of September and October. Blooms only last about a week.[8]
