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Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
Overview
Hymenaea courbaril is commonly known as the "jatobá", "courbaril", "West Indian locust","Brazilian copal", and "amami-gum". When used as flooring the tree is commonly referred to as "Brazilian cherry" or "South American cherry" because of the reddish color of the wood it yields—its wood is in fact much redder than that of the cherry tree. However, it is not a member of Prunus but instead a legume of the family Fabaceae. In the regions to which the tree is indigenous it is known as "stinking toe", "old man's toe", and "stinktoe" due to the strong cheese-like odor of the edible pulp in its seed pods. Hymenaea courbaril, the courbaril or West Indian locust, is a hardwood tree common in the Caribbean and Central and South America. As lumber it is frequently used to make furniture, flooring, and decoration. Its hard fruit pods have an edible dry pulp surrounding the seeds. Its sap, called animé, is used for incense, perfume, and varnish.
| Species | Jatoba (* Hymenaea courbaril)) |
| Origin | South America |
| Grade | AIC |
| Thickness | 18mm to 300mm |
| Width | 40mm to 300mm |
| Length | 4m to 8m |
| Drying | KD, AD |
| Prominent Uses |  |
Description & Distribution
Jatoba is a wood known for its exceptional stiffness, strength, and hardness, making it a great value for woodworkers. It is durable to moderately durable to fungi and is resistant to dry wood borers. The sapwood is white to gray with a possible pink tint, while the heartwood's color is described as fresh. This wood is suitable for applications where high strength and durability are required. Jatoba, scientifically known as Hymenaea courbaril, is primarily distributed in Central and South America. Its range includes countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and parts of Central America like Honduras and Costa Rica. It thrives in tropical rainforests, dry forests, and upland regions, adapting to a variety of soil types and climatic conditions within these regions.
Physical Characteristics
Crushing Strength: 97 MPa (+/- 15)
Specific Gravity (at 12% MC): 0.94 g/cm3 (+/0.13)
Stability : Moderately stable to stable
Static Bending Strength: 160 MPa (+/- 31)
Durability and resistance
Dry Wood Borers: Class D - Durable
Fungi: Class 2-3 - Durable to moderately durable
Termites: Class M - Moderately duarable
Treatability: Class 4 - Not permeable
Typical Applications
● Cabinetwork (high class furniture)
● Sliced veneer
● Flooring
● Wood frame house
● Exterior panelling
● Tool handles (resilient woods)
● Ship building (ribs)
● Musical instuments
● Wood-ware
● Moulding
● Current furniture or furniture components
● Industrial or heavy flooring
● Stairs (inside)
● Exterior joinery
● Interior panelling
● Turned goods
● Vehicle or container flooring
● Arched goods
● Sculpture
● Cooperage
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