INFORMATION LEAFLET 
FOREIGN WOODS 
Forest Products Laboratory, i Forest Service 
S. Department of Agriculture 
1954 
COMACASTE or GUAIIACASTE 
Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq. ) Gris. 
Family: Leguminosae 
By 
ELOISE GERRY, Forest Products Technologist 
Division of Silvicultural Relations 
Eight species of the genus Cnterolobium are known to occur in tropical America 
from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. One cf the best known is 
Enterolcbium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Gris. E. contortisiliquum (Veil.) Morong, 
timbo or timbouba is common in northern Argentina and nearby Paraguay and ~ 
Brazil, This species is sometimes substituted for Spanish cedar, ^edrela (5).~* 
Common Names 
The name guanacaste is of Nahuantl Indian origin, meaning ear-tree. The 
Costa Rican province of Guanacaste derives its name from this important tree. 
Other names include Juana Costa mahogany, conacastej genizero or jeniserc, 
orejon, pichwood, South American, Central American, or Mexican walnut, 
parota, cascabel, anjera, carito, caro, earpodtree , and kelobra (2, £). 
""Maintained at Madison, V/is., in cooperation with the Uni-ersity of Wisconsin. 
2 
Underlined numbers in parentheses refer lo the list of numbered references 
at the end of the report. 
Repr. No. 19S5 -1- Agriculture-^adisoii 
