Copaifera officinalis / Copal / Burseraceae (Copal Family)
Information
This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption
or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this
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treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this
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risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and
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deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain
omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the
documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make
any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these
plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition.
Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular
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Other Names
Copaiba, Copal, Balsam Copaiba, Copaiva, Jesuit's Balsam.
Scent
Sweet, creamy-balsamic, spicy, slightly peppery.
Aromatic Properties
The fragrance of Copal calms anxiety, is grounding, and helpful in stress-related conditions. Useful in mental and spiritual work, helps open the deeper levels of the soul, stimulates imagination, intuition and creativity.
Contents
Alloaromadendrene, alpha-bergamotene, alpha-cubebene, alpha-multijugenol, alpha-selinene, ar-curcumene, beta-bisabolene, beta-cubebene, beta-elemene, beta-farnesene, beta-humulene, beta-muurolene, beta-selinene, calamenene, calamesene, carioazulene, caryophyllenes, coipaiferic acid, copaene, copaiferolic acid, copalic acid, copaibic acids, cyperene, delta-cadinene, delta-elemene, enantio-agathic acid, gamma-cadinene, gamma-elemene, gamma-humulene, hardwickic acids, illurinic acid, kaurenoic acids, kaurenic acid, kolavenol 1, maracaibobalsam, methlyl copalate, paracopaibic acids, polyalthic acid, and trans-alpha-bergamotene.
Synergic Combinations
Copal blends well with Palo Santo, Pine, Juniper, White Sage.
Historical
Copaifera resin has been used topically by healers in the Amazon. The incense was regarded as a seeing instrument for the Mayans and considered a form of protection against sorcery, illness, and misfortune. The incense still burns in many Mexican churches today for the purpose of making the body ritually clean. Copaifera resin is known to European medicine since 1625. Jesuits brought it back from the New World and it was called "Jesuit's Balsam" where it was used medicinally. Between 1820 and 1910, it was an official drug in the United States. Nowadays, although mainly used as fragrance, copaiba resin is also approved in the United States as a food additive and small quantities are used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages.(1)(2)(3)
Plant Description
Copaifera officinalis is a well branched tropical tree that grows up to 100 feet tall. It has pinnate leathery leaves and blossoms are borne in whitish racemes. The flowers are small and aromatic. The fruit is a coriaceous legume containing a single seed.
Legal Remarks
This product is illegal or somehow problematic to send to the following countries.
Click on the country link for further information.
References
(1) Copaiba, Raintree Plant Database
(2) Copaifera officinalis, John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D., 1898
(3) Natural flavoring substances and natural substances used in conjunction with flavors., U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
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