almendro
Dipteryx oleifera
Dipteryx oleifera, the tonka bean, eboe, choibá, or almendro tree, is a species of emergent rainforest tree up to 55 m (180 ft) tall in the family Fabaceae, native to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Ennio Arcia, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ennio Arcia
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Dipteryx
almendro belongs to the family Fabaceae, order Fabales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Dipteryx oleifera, the tonka bean, eboe, choibá, or almendro tree, is a species of emergent rainforest tree up to 55 m (180 ft) tall in the family Fabaceae, native to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Almendro faces significant pressure from widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its Central American range, driven by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and logging operations. The species' slow growth rate and specific habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to these ongoing threats, while its valuable timber and seeds create additional harvesting pressure.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Almendro occurs in tropical moist lowland forests and premontane forests from sea level to approximately 1,000 meters elevation. The species typically grows in primary and mature secondary forests with well-drained soils, often found along rivers and in areas with high rainfall throughout Central America from Nicaragua to Colombia.
Threats
Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching
Habitat fragmentation
Selective logging for valuable timber
Infrastructure development
Overharvesting of seeds for commercial use
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). almendro (Dipteryx oleifera). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/almendro