Il frutto è commestibile ma di solito non viene mangiato dalle persone perché, in contrasto con i suoi fiori intensamente profumati, può avere un odore sgradevole. Viene dato in pasto al bestiame come i maiali e il pollame domestico. Ci sono molti usi medicinali per la pianta.

Couroupita guianensis is a tree that reaches heights of up to 35 meters (110 ft).

The leaves, which occur in clusters at the ends of branches, are usually 8 to 31 centimeters (3 to 12 inches) long but can reach lengths of up to 57 centimeters (22 inches).

The flowers are born in racemes up to 80 centimeters (31 inches) long. Some trees flower profusely until the entire trunk is covered with racemes. One tree can hold as many as 1000 flowers per day. The flowers are strongly scented and are especially fragrant at night and in the early morning.

They are up to 6 centimeters (2.5 inches) in diameter, with six petals, and are typically brightly colored, with the petals ranging from shades of pink and red near the bases to yellowish toward the tips. There are two areas of stamens: a ring of stamens at the center, and an arrangement of stamens that have been modified into a hood.

The fruits are spherical with a woody shell and reach diameters of up to 25 centimeters (10 inches), which give the species the common name cannonball tree. Smaller fruits may contain about 65 seeds, while large ones can hold as many as 550.

One tree can bear 150 fruits. The fruits take up to a year to mature in most areas, sometimes as long as 18 months. The fruit flesh is white and turns blue upon oxidation, a reaction with air.

The tree was named Couroupita guianensis by the French botanist Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet in 1775. Common names in other languages include many translations of the English cannonball tree. Common names include macacarecuia (Portuguese), coco sachapura (Colombia, Panama), bala de cañón (Costa Rica, Panama), kanonskogelboom (Dutch), arbre à boulet de canon (French), kouroupitoumou (French Guiana), 'Nagalinga Ful' (or nagalingam) (Bengali), Nagalinga Pushpa (Kannada), Nagalingam or Lingam (Tamil), నాగమల్లి Nagamalli (Telugu), sala (Indonesia), granadillo de las huacas (Panama), ayahuma (Peru), and boskalebas (Suriname).

It is also called Naaga danthee in Malayalam and Nagakeshara ନାଗକେଶର in Odia.

Species: C. guianensis

Genus: Couroupita

Family: Lecythidaceae

Couroupita guianensis, known by a variety of common names including the cannonball tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Lecythidaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, and it is cultivated in many other tropical areas throughout the world because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers and large, interesting fruits. Fruits are brownish-grey.

There are medicinal uses for many parts of Couroupita guianensis, and the tree has cultural and religious significance in India