Copaifera

{{Short description|Genus of legumes}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Copaifera_officinalis_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-047.jpg

|image_caption = Copaifera officinalis

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Copaifera

|authority = L. (1762)

|subdivision_ranks = Species

|subdivision = 40 see text

|subdivision_ref =

|synonyms =

• Copaiba Mill. (1754)
• Copaiva Jacq. (1760)
• Cotylelobiopsis {{small|F.Heim. (1892)}}
• Pseudosindora Symington (1944)

}}

Copaifera is a genus of tropical plants in the legume family Fabaceae.{{Cite journal |last1=Arruda |first1=Caroline |last2=Aldana Mejía |first2=Jennyfer Andrea |last3=Ribeiro |first3=Victor Pena |last4=Gambeta Borges |first4=Carly Henrique |last5=Martins |first5=Carlos Henrique Gomes |last6=Sola Veneziani |first6=Rodrigo Cássio |last7=Ambrósio |first7=Sérgio Ricardo |last8=Bastos |first8=Jairo Kenupp |date=2019-01-01 |title=Occurrence, chemical composition, biological activities and analytical methods on Copaifera genus—A review |journal=Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy |language=en |volume=109 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.030 |pmid=30396065 |s2cid=53239197 |issn=0753-3322|doi-access=free }} It includes 40 species native to the tropical Americas (Nicaragua to northeastern Argentina), west and central tropical Africa, and Borneo.[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331514-2 Copaifera L.] Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 16 August 2023.

The scientific name means "copal-bearer" (or more accurately, copaiba-bearer), since economically important resins and essential oils can be acquired from them. They are also important for production of biodiesel and wood, especially Copaifera langsdorffii. Other species are threatened, mainly by deforestation.

Oil extracts from the genus are of particular interest as a source of antimycobacterial agents.{{Cite journal |last1=Alves |first1=Jéssica Aparecida |last2=Abrão |first2=Fariza |last3=Silva Moraes |first3=Thaís da |last4=Damasceno |first4=Jaqueline Lopes |last5=dos Santos Moraes |first5=Marcos Fernando |last6=Sola Veneziani |first6=Rodrigo Cassio |last7=Ambrósio |first7=Sérgio Ricardo |last8=Bastos |first8=Jairo Kenupp |last9=Dantas Miranda |first9=Mayker Lázaro |last10=Gomes Martins |first10=Carlos Henrique |date=2020-08-01 |title=Investigation of Copaifera genus as a new source of antimycobaterial agents |journal=Future Science OA |volume=6 |issue=7 |pages=FSO587 |doi=10.2144/fsoa-2020-0018 |pmc=7421775 |pmid=32802394}}