About Dipteryx oleifera Benth.
Dipteryx oleifera Benth. has the synonyms Dipteryx panamensis and Coumarouna panamensis. It is commonly known as tonka bean, eboe, choibá, or almendro tree (almond in Spanish). It is an emergent rainforest tree species in the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Papilionoideae, and can reach up to 55 m (180 ft) in height. It is native to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.
This is a valuable hardwood timber tree. Its almond-flavored seeds are edible and sold in local markets. Its seedpods contain so much oil that local people use them as torches. It has been noted to have "great potential" as an ornamental plant, because it produces a spectacular display of pink flowers that lasts for weeks. It is already used as a street tree in Medellín, Colombia.
After flowering, the tree produces green fruit up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in size. The seeds of this fruit are a critical food source for the great green macaw (Ara ambigua). A notable trait of this species is that it benefits from being struck by lightning: the tree itself remains almost undamaged, while parasitic vines growing on it and competing trees nearby are killed. The unusual height and wide crown of D. oleifera make it up to 68 percent more likely to be struck by lightning than other similar tree species. Additionally, trees growing near a large almendro tree are 48 percent more likely to be killed by lightning than trees growing near a different tree species.
