Manila Tamarind, Madras Thorn
Pithecellobium dulce

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Pithecellobium dulce is a flowering species native to Mexico, Central America, and northern part of South America. It grows about 10 - 15 m in height with a spreading, rounded crown, spiny branches, and short, multiple boles. The leaves are bipinnate. The flowers are fragrant, greenish-white, and form into round dense heads. It is a tree of many uses - it is planted and grown as an ornamental and/or shade tree, for medicinal purposes, and for its fruits and seeds. Some medicinal properties that P. dulce have are for relief from convulsions, inflammations, and venereal sores. It also functions as remedy for diarrhea, dysentery, hemoptysis, chest congestion, and internal ulcers. Plant parts like fruits and seeds are edible. The flesh surrounding the seeds can be eaten raw, cooked, or made into drinks. The seeds can also be eaten raw or used as an ingredient in curries. Edible oil can be obtained from the seeds, which can also be used in making soap. Manila tamarind has symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria and is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Due to this, it can be grown for reforestation and soil conservation. The bark is a source of yellow dye, tannin, and gum. Seeds and leaves are also sources of tannin. The wood is not of superior quality but can still be used in light construction and for poles.

Pithecellobium dulce is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 15

Where it is found

Dry, brushy or thinly forested plains or hillsides, often in coastal thickets, at elevations from sea level to 500 metres.

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Mexico; Belize; Guatemala; El Salvador; Honduras; Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Colombia; French Guiana; Guyana; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Africa, Andamans, Asia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico*, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Reunion, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

The pods contain a sweet, pulpy flesh that surrounds the seed. This flesh can be eaten raw, boiled or made into a refreshing beverage that is suggestive of lemonade. The pods are 10cm long by 1.5cm wide. When mature, the pods split open at the lower suture exposing the edible pulp. For this reason the fruit does not keep long and has to be consumed within a few days. Seeds - raw or eaten in curries. An oil is obtained from the seed.

Oil: Oil

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The leaves can be used as a plaster to allay pain even from venereal sores, and can relieve convulsions. A paste made from the leaves is applied externally to treat muscular swellings caused by some inflammations. The leaves together with salt can cure indigestion and, in larger doses, can also induce abortion. The bark of the root is a good remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery. The bark is used medicinally as a febrifuge. The fruit pulp is taken orally to stop blood flow in case of haemoptysis. The seed juice is inhaled into the nostrils against chest congestion and pulverised seeds are ingested for internal ulcers.

Abortifacient: Causes an abortion.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: Since it can fix atmospheric nitrogen, and grow on waste and denuded lands, it is used to afforest and conserve poor soils. With regular trimming, the tree makes a dense, almost impenetrable thorny hedge that keeps out livestock and forms useful shelter belts; for hedges, seeds may be sown in 2 rows of 15 x 30 cm. When trimmed hard it makes an attractive if rather fierce hedge. When grown in hedges it is commonly mixed with other species such as Ziziphus mauritiana and Azadirachta indica. Other Uses A yellow dye is obtained from the bark. The bark contains about 25% tannin. The seeds and leaves are also sources of tannin. The wounded bark exudes a mucilaginous reddish-brown gum somewhat like gum arabic. The seeds contain about 20% of a greenish oil which, after refining and bleaching, can be used in the making of soap and can substitute kapok and ground nut seed oils. The heartwood is yellowish or reddish-brown; the sapwood yellowish. The wood is strong and durable yet soft and flexible. It is moderately hard and usually straight grained. It weighs about 590 kg/m_, is easy to saw and finishes to a smooth surface. Not of a very high quality, though it can be used in construction and for posts. The short spines and irregular, crooked growth make it less attractive for wood uses. Fast-growing and coppices vigorously but due to its smokiness and low calorific value (5 177-5 600 kcal/kg), this species is not of very high quality for fuel. In parts of India, it is planted and harvested to fuel brick kilns.

Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

Soil reclamation: Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Agroforestry Services: Alley crop: Integrates annual crops with rows of perennials.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.

Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Industrial Crop: Tannin: Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Agroforestry Services: Alley crop: Integrates annual crops with rows of perennials.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.

Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.

Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.

Industrial Crop: Tannin: Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Hedge: Hedge

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

The tree grows well at low and medium altitudes in both wet and dry areas of the tropics. It can tolerate an annual rainfall as low as 140mm and as high as 2,200mm. It will grow in areas where the average temperature ranges from 18 - 27.9°c. An easily grown plant that can succeed in most soils, it prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Can also succeed in heavy clay soils. The tree can grow on poor soils, on wastelands and even with its roots in brackish water. Established plants are drought tolerant. Tolerates a pH as high as 8.3. Plants have escaped from cultivation and become naturalized as a weed in dry places in some areas of the tropics. Commences flowering when only 1 - 2 metres tall. Trees can reach a height of 12 - 15 metres in about 40 years. In favourable soil conditions, they may reach a height of 10 metres in only 5 - 6 years. The trees coppice vigorously and produce root suckers upon injury to the roots. Once planted in the field, the tree does not need any treatment other than occasional pruning. There are some named varieties. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Flowering Time: Late Winter/Early Spring. Bloom Color: White/Near White Cream/Tan. Spacing: 20-30 ft. (6-9 m).

Propagating it: Seed - takes about 2 weeks to germinate. No pre-treatment is required - soaking actually reduces germination and heating kills the seeds. Best sown into nursery beds and planted out when about 12 months old. Plants often self-seed, especially around the margins of cultivated fields where plentiful seeding can be found under mature trees. Cuttings. Air layerng. Grafting.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

The bark contains irritating substances, which can cause eye infections. (Danger: Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling )

Its other names

Local names

Ai-terak, Am'pul tuk, Ampil tuk, Asam belanda, Asam koranji, Asam kranji, Asam tjina, Asem londo, Bak kaam lian, Blackbead, Camachile, Chichbilai, Coorkapooly, Damortis, Dhekhani babul, Guamochil, Guayamochil, Jalebi, Jangal jalebi, Jangle jalebi, Jilapi phal, Kaam lian, Kamachile, Kamachili, Kamanchilis, Kamatsile, Karoenga, Kataiya, Keo tay, Khaam th'eed, Kikar, Kodukkaapuli, Korukkapuli, Kottamphuli, Kukafalli, Kway-tanyeng, Madrasthorn, Makham-thet, Manila tamarind, Mchongoma, Me keo, Mhakam-khong, Opiuma, Seemae hunase, Sima chinta, Simachinta, Sweet-inga, Vilayati babul, Vilayati chinch, Vilayati imli, camambilarinde, guamuchilillo, huamúchil, madras thorn, madras thorn, manila tamarind, pinikaral, madre de flecha, mangollano, manila tamarind, manila-tamarind, monkey pod, monkeypod, opiuma, pois sucré, roosta, sweet-inga.

Synonyms

Acacia obliquifolia M.Martens & Galeotti Albizia dulcis (Roxb.) F.Muell. Feuilleea dulcis (Roxb.) Ku

Manila Tamarind, Madras Thorn Pithecellobium dulce