Mimosa tenuiflora, syn. Mimosa hostilis, also known as jurema preta, calumbi (Brazil), tepezcohuite (México), carbonal, cabrera, jurema, black jurema, and binho de jurema, is a perennial tree or shrub native to the northeastern region of Brazil (Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia) and found as far north as southern Mexico (Oaxaca and coast of Chiapas), and the following countries: El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. It is most often found in lower altitudes, but it can be found as high as . Description The fern-like branches have leaves that are Mimosa like, finely pinnate, growing to long. Each compound leaf contains 15–33 pairs of bright green leaflets long. The tree itself grows up to tall and it can reach tall in less than 5 years. The white, fragrant flowers occur in loosely cylindrical spikes long. In the Northern Hemisphere it blossoms and produces fruit from November to June or July. In the Southern Hemisphere it blooms primarily from September to January. The fruit is brittle and averages long. Each pod contains 4–6 seeds that are oval, flat, light brown and in diameter. There are about 145 seeds/. In the Southern Hemisphere, the fruit ripens from February to April. The tree's bark is dark brown to gray. It splits lengthwise and the inside is reddish brown. The tree's wood is dark reddish brown with a yellow center. It is very dense, durable and strong, having a density of about . Mimosa tenuiflora does very well after a forest fire, or other major ecological disturbance. It is a prolific pioneer plant. It drops its leaves on the ground, continuously forming a thin layer of mulch and eventually humus. Along with its ability to fix nitrogen, the tree conditions the soil, making it ready for other plant species to come along. Medicinal uses A tea made of the leaves and stem has been used to treat tooth pain. For cases of cough and bronchitis, a water extract (decoction) of Mimosa tenuiflora is drunk. A handful of bark in one liter of water is used by itself or in a syrup. The solution is drunk until the symptoms subside. One preliminary clinical study found Mimosa tenuiflora to be effective in treating venous leg ulcerations. Aqueous extracts of Mimosa are widely used for wound healing and burns in Middle and South America. Consequently, the products of the plant (generally grouped under the