[2]: 5 Copaifera langsdorffii is a medium-sized to large tree usually reaching 12 m (39 ft) in height, with white flowers and small, oily fruits.

[2]: 8 The diesel tree produces terpene hydrocarbons in its wood and leaves, and this had led to interest in the search for sources of renewable energy.

[2]: 10  Summarizing these findings, a report by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture stated: "[C. langsdorffii's] likelihood as an efficient producer of readily extractable oleoresins appears very slim.

[2]: 9 European honey bees are strongly attracted to the tree for its pollen, making it a mainstay of Brazilian apiculture.

[2]: 11 Natives in the Amazon use the oil collected from the tree as a traditional medicine: primarily as an expectorant and antiseptic, but also for the treatment of skin diseases such as eczema and dermatosis.