COPAIBA. BALSAM OF COPAIBA. 



63 



The resins are two, the Cinnamic acid benzoresinol 

 ester, C^^H^fi^, C^H^O; and the Cinnamic acid suma 

 resino tannol ester, C^gHj^O^, C9H7O. These esters are 

 broken up into benzoresinol, 5.2 per cent., resinotannol, 

 64.5 per cent., and cinnamic acid, 30.3 per cent. 



y COPAIBA. BALSAM OF COPAIBA. 



^ Copaiba is the oleoresin of Copaifera Langsdorffi (Des- 



fontaines), O. Kuntze, and of other species of Copaifera. 



The species of Copaifera are members of the family 



Fig. 5. — Copaiba. 



Resin-passages in wood of copaiba: m. Medullary rays; g, vessels; 

 h, resin-passages. 



Leguminosecu, and are widely distributed in the regions of 

 Brazil, Venezuela and the northern portion of South 

 America generally, Costa Rica and the West Indies 

 also.* They are trees and there are about ten species 

 that are widely used. Those from which the balsam is 

 collected are for the most part: Copaifera officinalis 

 Jacq., Copaifera Guyanensis (Desf.) O. Kuntze, Copaifera 

 coriacecB (Mart.) O. Kuntze, and Copaifera Langs- 

 dorffi. Occasionally, in addition to these main species, 



♦ Karsten, Bot. Ztg. XV, 316, 1859. 



