Copaifera langsdorffii Desf., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Copaifera langsdorfii (Desf.) Kuntze; Copaifera nitida Hayne; Copaifera sellowii Hayne

Common name(s): [more details]

English: copaiba, Langsdorf's copaifera

French: copahu

Spanish: cabismo, cupay, kupay

Habit:  tree

Description:  "An evergreen tree to 6-12(-35) m tall, and 1 m diameter.  Leaves paripinnate, glabrous, subcoriaceous, 5-10cm long; leaflets 2-4 pairs, opposite or semi-alternate, petiolulate, elliptic ovoid, 2-6cm long, 1.2-2.5cm broad, with finely pinnate reticulate nervation, glandular-punctate.  Flowers in terminal racemes to compound panicles with numerous, subsessile whitish flowers. Sepals 4, lanceolate, concave, firm, glabrous outside, pubescent inside. Petals absent. Stamens free, (8)10, anthers elliptic, versatile. Ovary hirsute, briefly stipitate.  Fruit ovoid, compressed, 2 x 3cm, coriaceous, with one large seed partially covered with a thick aril"  (Agroforestree Database).

Habitat/ecology:  "A climax species probably ranging from subtropical to tropical dry and wet forest, it is found in both riparian forest and montane semi-deciduous forest. The tree tolerates annual precipitation of 1000-4000mm, annual temperature of 20-27 deg C (with no frost), and soil pH of 4.5-7.5.  Mean annual temperature: 20-27 deg C, Mean annual rainfall: 1000-4000mm, Soil type: Copaiba grows well on dark-red latosols and lithosols, it tolerates soil pH of 4.5-7.5 and some waterlogging"  (Agroforestree Database).

Propagation:  Seed.  "C. langsdorfii shows a tendency towards a tri-annual reproductive pattern.  Seedlings germinate well in dense shade"  (Agroforestree Database).

Native range:  Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela (Agroforestree Database).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2011) Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

Additional information:
Information from James A. Duke. 1983. "Handbook of Energy Crops". unpublished.
Fact sheet from the Agroforestree database.

Additional online information about Copaifera langsdorffii is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Copaifera langsdorffii as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Copaifera langsdorffii may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2011. Annotated Checklist of Cultivated Plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

International Center for Research in Agroforestry. 2008. AgroForestryTree database: a tree species reference and selection guide (online resource). World Agroforestry Centre.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.