Madagascar was already separated from the mainland millions of years ago. Scientists therefore consider it to be one of the older islands. Its remote location left room for the development of nature. This is why the plant and animal world on Madagascar is so unique. Many of its plants and animals are nowhere else in the world. In Madagascar, deciduous trees such as the "Hymenaei verrucosa" can be found, which also today supply large quantities of resin. The tree is also called "Zanzibar copal", "East African copal" or "Amber tree". The well-founded and exciting book "Pflanzen in Bernstein" shows impressively how strong the resin flow can be. One of the authors, Carsten Gröhn, has convinced himself on site that the resin can be hardened and polished very quickly after the outflow (see Carsten Gröhn/Max J. Kobbert). A few weeks after the injury of a tree, the author had to blast the resin from the trunk tree with hammer and chisel.
Photo: Xavier Delclòs, Recent resin formation on Hymenaea trees in Madagascar
Literature:
Carsten Gröhn / Max J. Kobbert, Pflanzen seit der Saurierzeit eingeschlossen in Bernstein. Wachholtz, 2017
https://research-news.org/2020/05/19/madagaskar-kopal-entpuppt-sich-als-harz