A deciduous tree growing up to 30 m high in the tropical rainforests of South America, Brazil, Argentina and Peru, with very hard wood and smooth, gray bark that is reddish brown on the inside. Fingered leaves and pink to deep red, 4-8 cm long flowers, as well as 35-40 cm long capsule fruits, which contain numerous 2-5 cm long seeds.
The dried reddish-brown, paper-thin inner side of the bark, Tabebuiae cortex, is used phytotherapeutically. This has a vanilla to aniseed-like odor.
No monograph, no pharmacopoeial quality, used in empirical medicine.
Cosmetics: Tecoma lapacho extract (INCI)