Cavanillesia platanifolia

Cavanillesia platanifolia, known as pijio, bongo, pretino, petrino, cuipo, hameli or hamelí in Spanish or macondo, is a flowering plant species in the family Malvaceae. It grows in lowland rainforests in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The tree grows to 45–60 metres (148–197 feet) in height, with leaves only near the top for one month a year. Its reddish-gray bark has characteristic rings along the entire trunk. The roots are orangish-brown. A root fragment can be cut off and cleaned (while kept horizontal) then tipped to pour water, which has a taste of potatoes. Rope can be made from the inner bark of branches and saplings. The wood, along with balsa, is extremely soft, one of the softest according to the Janka hardness test, and may have commercial applications....read more on Wikipedia.