''Handroanthus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, known in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

by the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s poui, pau d'arco, or ipê. The latter sometimes appears as epay or simply ipe (unaccented) in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. The large

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

species are sometimes called lapacho or guayacan, but these names are more properly applied to the species ''

Handroanthus lapacho ''Handroanthus lapacho'', is a Bignoniaceae tree native to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) and Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija). References

Handroanthus, lapacho Trees of Argentina Trees of Bolivia Garden plants of South America Orname ...

'' and '' Handroanthus guayacan'', respectively. The

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...

''Handroanthus'' was established in 1970,''Handroanthus'' in International Plant Names Index. (see ''External links'' below). but was not generally accepted. In 1992, its species were included in '' Tabebuia'' in the most recent revision of that genus.Alwyn H. Gentry. 1992. "Bignoniaceae: Part II (Tribe Tecomeae)". ''Flora Neotropica'' Monograph 25(part 2):1-150. ''Handroanthus'' was resurrected in 2007 when a comparison of

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

s by cladistic methods showed that ''Tabebuia'', as then

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

, was not

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

.Susan O. Grose and Richard G. Olmstead. 2007. "Evolution of a Charismatic Neotropical Clade: Molecular Phylogeny of ''Tabebuia'' s.l., Crescentieae, and Allied Genera (Bignoniaceae)". ''Systematic Botany'' 32(3):650-659.Susan O. Grose and Richard G. Olmstead. 2007. "Taxonomic Revisions in the Polyphyletic Genus ''Tabebuia'' s.l. (Bignoniaceae)". ''Systematic Botany'' 32(3):660-670. ''Handroanthus'' are indigenous from

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

to northern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, with one species, ''

Handroanthus billbergii ''Handroanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30 species of trees, known in Latin America by ...

'', native to northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

. ''Handroanthus'' are frequently cultivated far from their

natural Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

, as

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

trees, for their large and showy flowers. They easily become

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

where introduced because their seeds are prolifically produced and widely scattered by the wind.George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005. "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu, HI, USA. Several species are important timber trees of the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

.Alwyn H. Gentry. 1992. "A Synopsis of Bignoniaceae Ethnobotany and Economic Botany". ''Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden'' 79(1):53-64. Medicinal use has been reported, but its

efficacy Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as ''effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a pragmatic clinical trial#Efficacy versu ...

and

side effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...

have not been well studied.

Species

Species include: * ''

Handroanthus albus ''Handroanthus albus'', the golden trumpet tree, is a tree with yellow flowers native to Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and the Cerrado (tropical savannas) of Brazil, where it is known as . This plant is found in the Brazilian states of Distrito ...

'' ( Chamisso) J.R. Mattos * ''

'' (

Bureau Bureau ( ) may refer to: Agencies and organizations *Government agency *Public administration * News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location * Bureau (European Parliament), the administrat ...

& K.M. Schumann) S. Grose * '' Handroanthus chrysanthus'' ( Jacquin) S. Grose * ''

Handroanthus chrysotrichus ''Handroanthus chrysotrichus'', synonym ''Tabebuia chrysotricha'', commonly known as the golden trumpet tree, is a semi-evergreen/semi-deciduous (shedding foliage for a short period in late spring) tree from Brazil. It is very similar to and ofte ...

'' (

Martius Martius may refer to: * Martius (month) the month of March on the ancient Roman calendar * Campus Martius, the "Field of Mars" in ancient Rome * Telo Martius, an ancient name for Toulon, France People * Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1 ...

A.P. de Candolle Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...

) J.R. Mattos * '' Handroanthus guayacan'' ( Seemann) S. Grose * ''

Handroanthus heptaphyllus ''Handroanthus heptaphyllus'', commonly referred to as the pink trumpet tree or pink tab, is a Bignoniaceae tree native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America. It grows in the high forest watershed of the Paraná River, Paraguay Ri ...

'' ( Vellozo) J.R. Mattos * '' Handroanthus impetiginosus'' (Martius ex A.P. de Candolle) J.R. Mattos * '' Handroanthus incanus'' ( A.H. Gentry) S. Grose * ''

Handroanthus lapacho ''Handroanthus lapacho'', is a Bignoniaceae tree native to Argentina (Jujuy, Salta) and Bolivia (Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija). References

Handroanthus, lapacho Trees of Argentina Trees of Bolivia Garden plants of South America Orname ...

'' (K.M. Schumann) S. Grose * '' Handroanthus ochraceus'' (Chamisso) J.R. Mattos * ''

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''. Description It is a tree native to forests throughout Central and South Ame ...

'' ( Vahl) S.O. Grose * ''

Handroanthus subtilis ''Handroanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30 species of trees, known in Latin America b ...

'' ( Sprague & Sandwith) S. Grose * '' Handroanthus umbellatus'' (

Sonder Sonder may refer to: Geography *Mount Sonder, mountain in Australia *Sonder, village in Minahasa Regency, Indonesia People *Otto Wilhelm Sonder (1812–1881), German botanist and pharmacist Other uses * Sonder (Dermot Kennedy album), ''Sonder'' ( ...

) J.R. Mattos * ''

Handroanthus vellosoi ''Handroanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. It consists of 30 species of trees, known in Latin America by ...

'' (

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...

) J.R. Mattos

Description

The following description is excerpted from the

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

that resurrected ''Handroanthus'' in 2007. *

Tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s or occasionally

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s. *

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

is very dense. Heartwood distinct from sapwood, olive brown to black,

lapachol Lapachol is a natural phenolic compound isolated from the bark of the lapacho tree.Record, Samuel J.. "Lapachol" pages 17-19. In: ''Tropical Woods'' (1925). This tree is known botanically as ''Handroanthus impetiginosus'', but was formerly known ...

present in large quantities. *

Leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

palmately The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

(3)5-9_

foliate This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

. * Leaflets with various types of

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

s as well as

lepidote A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

. *

Inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

with dichotomous branching. *

Calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

coriaceous, campanulate, 5 dentate,

pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...

. *

Corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

tubular,

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the R ...

or magenta with yellow throat. *

Stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

didynamous The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament and an an ...

; Thecae

divaricate Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide. In botany In botany, the term is often used to describe the branching pattern of plants. Plants are said to be divaricating when the ...

;

Staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...

reduced. *

Ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

conical A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

linear Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship (''function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear r ...

bilocular A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

. *

Ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the megasporangium), and the fe ...

s in 2 to 10 series in each

locule A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

. *

Fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

an elongate

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

capsule. *

Seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s thin with 2 wings. Wings thin and sharply demarcated from seed body. ''Handroanthus'' is distinguished from ''Tabebuia'' by several morphological characters. The wood is among the hardest and heaviest known. The heartwood is distinct from the sapwood and contains large quantities of lapachol. ''Handroanthus'' has the same lepidote scales as ''Tabebuia'', but also has various types of hair. The calyx is 5-dentate and campanulate to cupular. The corolla is yellow, except in those four species where it is magenta with a yellow throat. ''Tabebuia'' has only two yellow-flowered species, ''

Tabebuia aurea ''Tabebuia aurea'' is a species of ''Tabebuia'' native to South America in Suriname, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The common English name Caribbean trumpet tree is misleading, as it is not native to the Cari ...

'' and ''

Tabebuia nodosa ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families ...

''. The fruit of ''Handroanthus'' is rarely glabrous like that of ''Tabebuia''. It usually ranges from sparsely pubescent to densely

tomentose Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

Uses

''Handroanthus'' is widely used as

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

in the tropics in

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal o ...

gardens, public squares, and boulevards due to its impressive and colorful flowering. Many flowers appear on still leafless stems at the end of the

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

, making the floral display more conspicuous. '' Handroanthus impetiginosus'', ''

'', and '' Handroanthus ochraceus'' are well-known throughout the

. '' Handroanthus chrysanthus'', '' Handroanthus guayacan'', ''

'', '' Handroanthus umbellatus'', and ''

'' are also planted in warm climates. Anthony Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (1992). ''The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening''. The Macmillan Press, Limited: London. The Stockton Press: New York. (set). ''

'', ''Handroanthus serratifolius'', ''Handroanthus guayacan'', ''Handroanthus chrysanthus'', and ''

'' are important timber trees of the Neotropics. The wood of ''Handroanthus billbergii'' is valued for

carving Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and ...

. Indigenous peoples of the Amazon made hunting bows from the wood, which is the source of the common name ''pau d'arco'', "bow stick". Much of the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

from ''Handroanthus'' is

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...

ed. The wood is durable outdoors, where it is usually used for

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...

and decking. It is increasingly popular as a decking material due to its insect resistance and durability. ''Handroanthus'' and the unrelated ''

Guaiacum ''Guaiacum'' (''OED'' 2nd edition, 1989.Entry "guaiacum"
in
Zygophyllaceae) produce the hardest, heaviest, and most durable wood of the American tropics. Dead trees of ''Handroanthus guayacan'' remain standing after they were killed by flooding of their

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

during construction of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

. The wood of ''Handroanthus'' brings a high

price A price is the (usually not negative) quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services. In some situations, the price of production has a different name. If the product is a "good" in the c ...

. The wood of other species is sometimes

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...

ulently sold as ''Handroanthus''. By 2007, FSC-certified ipê wood had become readily available on the market, although certificates are occasionally forged. Much of the ipê imported into the United States is used for decking. Starting in the late 1960s, importing companies targeted large

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridge ...

projects to sell ipê, beginning with the

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...

, which maintains the city's

s, including along the

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

. The city began using ipê around that time and has since converted the entire boardwalk—over long—to ipê. The ipê lasted about 25 years, at which time (1994) the department began replacing it with new ipê. ''

La Sultana ''La Sultana'' is a yacht that has been refitted from a Soviet era ferry. She was launched in 1962, under the name ''Aji-Petri'' and was the fifth in a series of 12 ships that were originally built for the Russian fleet. Her purpose was to trans ...

'', a yacht refashioned from a Soviet spy vessel, was fitted with an ipê deck during its restoration.La Sultana Superyacht: The Spy Ship You Can Sunbathe On
Billionaire. 14 September 2015. Tara Loader Wilkinson. 24 December 2015. In 2008-2009,

Wildwood, New Jersey Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area and is a popular summer resort destination along the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's year-rou ...

, rebuilt a section of its boardwalk using ipê. The town had pledged to use domestic black locust, but it was not available in time. Given that ipê trees typically grow in

densities Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek language, Greek letter Rho (letter), rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' ca ...

of only one or two trees per , large areas of

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

must be searched and cut down to create paths to

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

the trees to fill orders for boardwalks and to a lesser extent, homeowner decks. Medical claims for ''Handroanthus'' are numerous, but so far, have always originated from unreliable sources. For this reason, the extensive literature on this subject is not reviewed here. The bark of several species of ''Handroanthus'' is sold in South American markets. Similar-looking bark is often fraudulently passed off as ''Handroanthus''. It is used in various ways to relieve certain

symptom Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showin ...

s of certain

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

s. No evidence shows that it prevents the disease or slows its progression, as is often claimed. The bark is dried, shredded, and then boiled to make a bitter or sour-tasting brownish-colored tea. Tea from the inner bark of pink ipê ('' Handroanthus impetiginosus'') is known as pau d'arco,

lapacho Lapacho or taheebo is herbal tea made from the inner bark of the pau d'arco tree ''Handroanthus impetiginosus''. Lapacho is used in the herbal medicine of several South and Central American indigenous peoples to treat a number of ailments inclu ...

, or taheebo. Its main active ingredients are

, quercetin, and other

flavonoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

. A dehydrated tea is also available in

pill Pill or The Pill may refer to: Drugs * Pill (pharmacy), referring to anything small for a specific dose of medicine * "The Pill", a general nickname for the combined oral contraceptive pill Film and television * ''The Pill'' (film), a 2011 fil ...

form. Taheebo has been used for years in

and

Therapy treat A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many differen ...

a number of

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

s including

Eczema Dermatitis is inflammation of the Human skin, skin, typically characterized by itchiness, erythema, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become lichenification, thick ...

, Candidiasis,

Fungal infection Fungal infection, also known as mycosis, is disease caused by fungi. Different types are traditionally divided according to the part of the body affected; superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic. Superficial fungal infections include common ti ...

s and even

. The worth and use of Taheebo extract has been related to the importance of

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cr ...

, which is taken from the

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

of the South American

Cinchona ''Cinchona'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the Tropical Andes, tropical Andean forests of western South America. A few species are ...

tree and is a medicinally accepted treatment for

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. The

herbal remedy Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedies ...

is typically used during

flu Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...

and cold

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

and for easing

smoker's cough Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. S ...

. It apparently works as an expectorant, by promoting the lungs to cough up and free deeply embedded

mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is ...

and contaminants. However, lapachol is rather

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

and therefore a more topical use e.g. as antibiotic or pesticide may be advisable. Other species with significant folk medicine, folk medical use are ''

'' and ''

''. '' Handroanthus ochraceus'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonym: ''Tabebuia heteropoda''), '' Handroanthus incanus'', and other species are occasionally used as an Food additive, additive to the entheogenic drink Ayahuasca.Jonathan Ott. 1995. In: Ayahuasca Analogues: Pangaean Entheogens.

Ecology

The nectar of ''Handroanthus'' flowers is an important food source for several species of bees and hummingbirds. ''Mycosphaerella tabebuiae'', a plant pathogenic sac fungus was first discovered on a ''Handroanthus'' tree, known at that time as ''Tabebuia''. The Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of Mycosphaerella is in much confusion and the recognition of this name is questionable.

Symbolism

Because of its popularity, ''Handroanthus'' has often been adopted as a symbol or emblem for Sovereign state, nations or other political divisions. The distinction between Floral emblem, national flower and List of national trees, national tree is sometimes not entirely clear. Gentry (1992) gives the following information without making that distinction. * Brazil - ''Handroanthus serratifolius'' * Ecuador - ''Handroanthus chrysanthus'' *

- ''Handroanthus heptaphyllus'' * Venezuela - ''Handroanthus billbergii''

History

The genus ''Handroanthus'' was erected by Joáo Rodrigues de Mattos in 1970.Joáo Rodrigues de Mattos. 1970. "''Handroanthus'', Um novo gênero para os "ipês" do Brasil". ''Loefgrenia'' 50: 1-4. It was Eponym, named for the Brazilian people, Brazilian botanist Oswaldo Handro. "Anthus" is Etymology, derived from a Greek language, Greek word for "flower". Most botanists at that time did not agree with the Segregate (taxonomy), separation of ''Handroanthus'' from ''Tabebuia''. Alwyn Howard Gentry, Alwyn H. Gentry objected strenuously and warned against "succumbing to further paroxysms of unwarranted splitting".Alwyn H. Gentry. 1972. "''Handroanthus'' (Bignoniaceae): A critique". ''Taxon'' 21(1):113-114. In 1992, Gentry published a full Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Treatise, treatment of ''Tabebuia'', in which he Diagnosis (taxonomy), described 99 species and one Hybrid (biology), hybrid for the genus. These consist of the 67 species and one hybrid that remain in ''Tabebuia'', the two species transferred to ''Roseodendron'', and the 30 species that are now placed in ''Handroanthus''. Gentry divided ''Tabebuia'' into 10 species groups. ''Handroanthus'', as it is currently

, is composed of Gentry's groups 3, 4, and 5. Gentry believed group 5 to be

, while groups 3 and 4 were artificial, designated for the sole purpose of easier Identification (biology), identification. In 2007, a molecular phylogenetic Research, study resolved ''Tabebuia'' as consisting of three Resampling (statistics), strongly supported clades, none of which was sister taxon, sister to either of the others. Thus ''Tabebuia'' was shown to be polyphyletic. One of these clades consisted of the two species that constitute the genus ''Roseodendron''. Another contained the type species for ''Tabebuia'', and consequently retained that Genus#Generic name, name. The

''Handroanthus'' was resurrected for the third clade, which contained its Biological type, type species, ''

''. ''Handroanthus'' is sister to a clade consisting of ''Spirotecoma'', ''Parmentiera'', ''Crescentia'', and ''Amphitecna''. It had for a long time been placed in the Tribe (biology), tribe Tecomeae, but that tribe has been greatly reduced to only 11 or 12 genera and no longer includes ''Handroanthus''. ''Handroanthus'' is one of the 12 to 14 genera that make up a Taxon, group informally known as the ''Tabebuia'' alliance.Richard G. Olmstead, Michelle L. Zjhra, Lúcia G. Lohmann, Susan O. Grose, and Andrew J. Eckert. 2009. "A molecular phylogeny and classification of Bignoniaceae". ''American Journal of Botany'' 96(9): 1731–1743. This group has not been assigned to any taxonomic rank, and neither has Crescentiina, the smallest group that it is a member of. Cladistic analysis of DNA data has strongly supported ''Handroanthus'', but sampling of taxa and DNA has not been sufficient to strongly support any relationships within the genus.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5647550 Handroanthus, Bignoniaceae genera