Hymenaea courbaril (Jatobá or Guapinol) is a tree common to the Caribbean, Central, and South America. It is a hardwood that is used for furniture, flooring and decorative purposes.
Although Jatoba is sometimes referred to as Brazilian Cherry or South American Cherry, it is not a cherry tree but a legume belonging to the Fabaceae family. Depending on the locale, Jatobá is also known as Brazilian Copal, South American Locust, or the West Indian Locust. It is also known as Stinking Toe, Old Man's Toe or Stinktoe because of the unpleasant odor of the edible pulp inside its seed pods.
Jatoba produces an orange, resinous, sticky gum that converts to amber through a chemical process that requires millions of years. Amber of million-year-old Hymenaea trees have provided scientists with many clues to its prehistoric presence on Earth as well as to the often extinct insects and plants encased in it,[citation needed] as shown in the Jurassic Park films.
Jatoba is a very hard wood measuring 5.6 on the Brinell scale or 2,350 lbf (10,500 N) on the Janka scale, approximate measurements of hardness. For comparison, Douglas Fir measures 660 lbf (2,900 N), White Oak 1,360 lbf (6,000 N), and Brazilian Walnut 3,800 lbf (17,000 N) on the Janka scale.
