373 
COPAIFERA OFFICINALIS. BALSAM of COPAIVA TREE. 
Balfamum Copaiva. Pharm. Land, Balfamutn Copaiba. Pharm. Ed. 
STNONTMA. Coapoiba. Marcgr. bras. 130. Copaiba. Pi/* 
III/}. Nat. et Med. p. 118. Arbre de Copau. Labat i Nouv. voyage 
aux IJles de Id Amerique, torn. ii. p. 365. Le Copahu. Barrett 
Hljl. Nat. de la France equinoxiale. p. 40. Arbor baccifera Brafi- 
lien. &c. Raii Hijl. p. IJS9' Copaifera officinalis. Jacquin 
Select. Stirp. Amcric. p. 133. tab. 86. ed. picl. p. Gj. tab. 128. 
Clafs Decandria. . Ord. Monogynia. Lin. Gen. Plant. 542. 
EJf. Gen. Cb. Cal. o. Petala 4. Legum. ovatum. Setn. 1, arillo 
baccato. 
mm 
THIS tree grows to a confiderable height : it is covered with 
rough brown bark, and divides into numerous branches : the leaves 
are pinnated, large, confining of four pair of pinnae, which are 
alternate, except the undermolt, which is nearly oppofite ; they are 
ovate, pointed, fomewhat narrowed on one fide, and placed upon 
fhort footflalks : the flowers are white, and produced in tei 
branched fpikes : there is no calyx : the petals are four, oblong, acute 
concave, fpreading: the filaments are ten, flender, incurved, fome 
what longer than the corolla, and crowned with antherse, which an 
oblong, and incumbent : the germen is round ifh, compreffed 
ftands upon a fhort pedicle : the flyle is filiform, incurved, about the 
length of the filaments, and furnifhed with an obtufe fligma : the 
fruit is an oval pod, of two valves, pointed with part of the remaining 
flyle : it contains one egg-fhaped feed, involved in a berried arillus. 
This tall and elegant tree is a native of South America, particularly 
Brazil, and fome of the neighbouring iflands ; and it is faid to have 
been difcovered growing in Terra Firma in large woods with thofe 
which afford feveral of our officinal Balfams, efpecially that of 
Tolu and Peru. The refinous juice, called Balfam of Copaiba, is 
No. 28 
obtained 
* 
