Handroanthus serratifolius

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

Handroanthus serratifolius in Brazil

A Handroanthus serratifolius splitting seedpods

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]