| Tabebuia serratifolia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Bignoniaceae |
| Genus: | Tabebuia |
| Species: | T. serratifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) Nichols. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Bignonia serratifolia Vahl |
|
Yellow Lapacho (Tabebuia serratifolia[1], also known as Yellow Poui or ipê-roxo) is a tree native to forests throughout Central and South America. This plant grows in the Cerrado vegetation of Brazil, reaching up to French Guiana, Bolivia, Paraguay and Northern Argentina. It is one of the largest and strongest of tropical forest trees, growing up to 150 feet tall while the base can be 4 to 7 feet in diameter. It is a commercially farmed hardwood notable for its extreme hardness and resistance to fire and pests. It is sometimes traded as an "ironwood" or just as "ipê" (the entire genus Tabebuia) or lapacho (properly Tabebuia serratifolia)
The bark of Tabebuia serratifolia contains more than 20 active compounds including lapachol, quercetin and other flavonoids. Its inner bark is used as a treatment for fungal infections.