Centrolobium is a small Neotropical genus of flowering trees in the legume family Fabaceae, placed within the tribe Dalbergieae and assigned to the informal monophyletic Pterocarpus clade. The genus contains approximately six to seven species distributed across tropical South America and Central America, from Panama south through Brazil and Bolivia.
Members of the genus are mostly large canopy trees reaching up to 30 metres in height. A defining characteristic is an abundance of distinctive orange peltate glands that cover most vegetative and reproductive parts of the plant. The fruits are striking large winged samaras—up to 30 cm long—with a spiny, armoured basal seed chamber surrounding the seed, an adaptation that aids wind dispersal through forest canopies.
Several species yield valuable hardwoods collectively marketed under names such as canarywood or arariba, prized for their rich golden-yellow to orange timber used in cabinetry, flooring, and decorative woodwork. Centrolobium microchaete (tarara amarilla) and Centrolobium paraense are among the most commercially significant members.
Distribution
Centrolobium is native to the Neotropics, with species distributed across tropical South America—including Brazil, Bolivia, and Venezuela—and extending into Central America as far as Panama. Individual species occupy a range of lowland and montane tropical forest habitats.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus is placed in the tribe Dalbergieae (family Fabaceae) and grouped within an informal monophyletic Pterocarpus clade. GBIF records the genus under multiple checklist entries; the most species-rich accepted entry (key 103134876) lists approximately nine descendants. No synonyms are recorded at the genus level in GBIF.
