What is "tacamahac"

Tacamahac \Tac"a*ma*hac`\, Tacamahaca \Tac`a*ma*ha"ca\, n.

1. A bitter balsamic resin obtained from tropical American trees of the genus Elaphrium ( Elaphrium tomentosum and Elaphrium Tacamahaca), and also from East Indian trees of the genus Calophyllum; also, the resinous exhudation of the balsam poplar.

2. (Bot.) Any tree yielding tacamahac resin, especially, in North America, the balsam poplar, or balm of Gilead ( Populus balsamifera).

n. 1 A bitter balsamic resin or resinous exudation obtained from tropical American trees of the genus (taxlink Elaphrium genus noshow=1) ((taxlink Elaphrum tomentosum species noshow=1) and (taxlink Elaphrum tacamahaca species noshow=1)), from East Indian trees of the genus ''Calophyllum''(,) or from the (vern: balsam poplar). 2 Any tree yielding tacamahac resin, especially, in North America, the balsam poplar or (vern: balm of Gilead) ((taxlink Populus balsamifera species noshow=1)).

n. poplar of northeastern North America with broad heart-shaped leaves [syn: balsam poplar, hackmatack, Populus balsamifera]

Tacamahac is the name of medicinal resins, now little used, obtained from several plant sources including Calophyllum tacamahaca and Calophyllum inophyllum.

The word has sometimes been regarded, apparently wrongly, as a synonym of balm of Gilead.