Common Name: Camibar

General Information

Prioria copaifera is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 50 metres tall with a deep, very dense crown that allows almost no light to pass through[]. One of the spectacular forest trees of Panama, it has a clear straight bole up to 75cm in diameter with exceptional specimens to 150cm, the bole is unbuttressed and generally unbranched until near the top[, ].
This is one of the most commonly harvested timber trees of Panama, owing to its large size and its tendency to form nearly monospecific stands in swamps along rivers[]. This tree also furnishes the resin known in commerce as Copaiba balsam (balsamo de copaiba), which has various uses in medicine and pharmacy[]. The edible seeds are gathered from the wild for local use and are sold in local markets under the name 'cativa'[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia; C. America - Panama to Nicaragua; Caribbean - Trinidad.

Habitat

A canopy tree of rainforests, often found in swampy ground[]. Found mainly along the margins of rivers and swamps, especially the inland side of mangrove swamps, it can form nearly pure stands in flooded areas[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moist to wet, lowland tropical areas, usually near the coast at elevations up to 40 metres, sometimes up to 150 metres inland[].
Young plants are tolerant of shade, but older trees require a sunny position[]. Prefers a rich, loamy soil[]. The tree grows best in areas that are flooded during the rainy season[].
The seeds are very buoyant and are often found floating in the water at the edge of lakes[].

Edible Uses

The enormous seeds have edible embryos[, ]. They are sold under the name 'cativa'[].

Medicinal

The resin obtained from the wood is used as medicine by native Americans[].
The resin is used to heal cuts and bites and as a general antiseptic[].

Other Uses

The bark is stripped from trees for making cord[].

A resin is obtained from the wood[]. The dark brown, resinous gum obtained by cutting the bole has a stinging taste and is used by natives as a flytrap[].

The heartwood is medium to light brown, often attractively streaked; it is sharply demarcated from the thick band of sapwood, which is pinkish to white when fresh, becoming dingy on the surface because of oily exudations. The texture is rather fine and uniform; the grain straight; superficially dull but with a golden lustre beneath; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is generally rated as non-durable, particularly in resistance to white rot. It dries rapidly, with no checking and only slight warping; collapse is reported to occur sometimes in the darker streaks in the heartwood, particularly during kiln drying. The wood tends to be wooly when sawn green; it machines well in all operations when dry mostly with smooth surfaces, sometimes with a slight tendency to fuzziness; easy to glue; requires care in finishing because of gum content; fair to good in steambending quality. It is used for purposes such as interior trim, furniture and cabinet work, joinery, veneer and plywood, millwork; it is used to prepare resinstabilized veneer for pattern stock[].

Propagation

Seed - it normally germinates whilst inside the pod, the shoots growing out of the apex[]. Root protrusion occurs 30 - 40 days after sowing[]. The percentage of germination is greater than 85%[].

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