A large tropical tree (genus Parahancornia) native to South America, producing a rubber-like sap used to make flooring and other materials.
From Tupi (South American indigenous language) 'amapá,' referring to this Amazonian tree. The word entered Portuguese and then English through Brazilian and Amazonian botanical trade.
Amapa wood became popular for boat flooring because it's incredibly hard and resists water damage—it's essentially the tropical answer to oak, and its name traveled from indigenous Amazonian languages into modern architectural and nautical specifications.
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