Handroanthus serratifolius

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 Tecoma serratifolia (Vahl) G. Don Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) G. Nicholson

H. serratifolius, Brazil

Splitting seedpods

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.

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.

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.

Uses

It is a commercially farmed hardwood notable for its extreme hardness and resistance to fire and pests. It is sometimes traded as an "ironwood", or just as "ipê" (the entire genus Tabebuia), or as lapacho (properly Handroanthus serratifolius)

Chemistry

The bark of Handroanthus serratifolius contains chemical compounds including lapachol, quercetin, and other flavonoids.

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.