Dipteryx

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of tropical hardwood trees native to Central and South America, valued for their durable timber and sometimes aromatic seeds used in traditional medicine
2. A group of large leguminous trees found in tropical regions known for strong wood and seeds that have culinary or medicinal properties
3. Tropical trees belonging to a specific genus producing hard wood prized for construction and seeds utilized in folk remedies or as flavoring agents

Etymology: In Greek, "pteryx" means "wing," and "di-" means "two," so the genus name Dipteryx refers to the two-winged structures on the fruit. The name was given to the genus in the late 18th century, when botanists were naming many tropical plants from specimens brought back from the Americas. The best-known member of the genus, Dipteryx odorata, is the tonka tree of the Guiana region of South America. Its seed, the tonka bean, has a strong vanilla-like scent, and the French name for it, "coumarou," comes from the Tupi word "kumarú." That name gave us coumarin, the aromatic compound first isolated from the bean in 1820 and named in 1822. Coumarin is the reason the seeds were used as a flavoring and in perfumery.

Synonyms: legume, tree, timber tree, tropical tree