Dipteryx odorata (commonly known as "cumaru", "kumaru", or "Brazilian teak") is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae.

The word tonka is taken from the Galibi (Carib) tongue spoken by natives of French Guiana; it also appears in Tupi, another language of the same region, as the name of the tree.

[4] Many anticoagulant prescription drugs, such as warfarin, are based on 4-hydroxycoumarin, a chemical derivative of coumarin initially isolated from this bean.

[9] The tree has alternate pinnate leaves with three to six leaflets, leathery, glossy and dark green, and pink flowers.

[8] Radio-carbon dating of D. odorata stumps left by a large logging operation near Manaus by Niro Higuchi, Jeffrey Chambers, and Joshua Schimel, showed that it was one of around 100 species which definitely live to over 1,000 years (specifically an age of 1400 years being claimed for this and the unrelated Cariniana macrantha).

[11] The FDA has considered foods containing tonka beans adulterated[12] since 1954[13] because coumarin has shown toxicity in extremely high concentrations.

[11][14] There have been calls for removing the restrictions on the use of tonka beans in food in the US similar to the successful deregulations of mangosteens and absinthe in the early 21st century;[14] the regulations are criticized as unreasonable due to the unlikelihood of consuming enough coumarin to cause ill effects and due to the presence of coumarin in unregulated foods.

[15] Yves Rocher[16] uses them in their men's perfume Hoggar, for example, and they are still used to flavor some pipe tobaccos, such as Samuel Gawith "1792 Flake.

"[17] Many anticoagulant prescription drugs, such as warfarin, are based on 4-hydroxycoumarin, a chemical derivative of coumarin initially isolated from this bean.

In the native region there is a mean annual temperature of 25 °C and about 2,000 mm (80 in) rainfall per year, with a dry season from June to November.

[8] So, the fresh fruits are picked up in June and July, and fallen pods are harvested from January to March[8] or sometimes earlier.