Commonly known as tabonuco (or gommier, also candlewood), "Dacryodes excelsa" is a large, dominant tree found in Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean. The seeds of the tree are a source of food for birds. Like all members, the tree releases sap from the bark when wounded. The clear sap oozes from the tree and hardens to a white, aromatic waxy resin that can be used to make candles and incense. Before the arrival of the Spaniards to Puerto Rico, the native Taínos used the resin to make torches. The wood itself is useful for constructing housing, furniture, boxes, small boats, and a variety of other wood-based products; the utility of the wood is comparable to that of mahogany and birch. In addition, species like "Canarium littorale, Dacryodes costata, Santiria laevigata," and Santiria tomentosa from Malaysia, as well as "Aucoumea klaineana" and "Canarium schweinfurthii" from Africa, also produce valuable wood for construction projects and carpentry.