Barbados pride, Coral Pea, Bead Tree
Adenanthera pavonina

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree up to 7-20 m high. It spreads to 4 m across. It loses many of its leaves during the hot dry season of the year. The stem is erect and slender. The bark is smooth and light brown. The leaves are green and divided twice into leaflets. The whole leaf is 30-45 cm long. The leaf is divided into 3-5 pairs of segments 10-15 cm long. Each is divided again into 10-18 alternate oblong leaflets. These are 1.7-4 cm long by 0.8-2 cm wide. These leaflets are dark green on top and paler underneath. The flowers are small and white or yellow. They occur at the ends of branches. The fruit is a long (20 cm) dark brown pod with red seeds. The pod twists up as it opens. The seeds are shiny red and hard and 0.7-1 cm across. The pods remain on the tree long after ripening. It is a legume.

There are 12 Adenanthera species in tropical Asia. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the tropical lowlands and up to 600 m. It is often planted as a shade and ornamental tree. It also grows wild in the rainforest. It suits humid locations. It prefers well drained soil and an open sunny position. It cannot tolerate drought and in frost tender. It will grow on most soil types. It suits hardiness zones 11-12. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Antigua-Barbuda, Arabia, Australia, Asia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, China, Congo, Cook Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, FSM, Fiji, French Guiana, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guianas, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Malesia (country/location of origin), Marquesas, Martinique, Mauritius, Micronesia, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Niue, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pohnpei, Reunion, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South America, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The flowers are also eaten. The seeds are roasted and shelled and eaten. The seeds are also powdered to make coffee.

A minor edible leafy vegetable. Famine food. The seeds are especially eaten by children. Cooked seeds are sold in markets in Samoa. It is sold in local markets in Laos.

Edible parts

Seeds, nut, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from seeds. The seeds should be soaked before sowing.

It grows quickly. In the southern hemisphere flowering occurs November to February and fruiting from December to March.

Its other names

Local names

Anikundumani, Bandi guruvenda, Barricarri, Bis, Bisa, Butsu bis, Check-long, Circassian bean, Coral Wood, False wiliwili, Haihongdou, Hua 'ula'ula, Kaikes, Kongquedou, Kunchandana, Laihere, Lera, Lopa, Ma klam ton, Madatiya, Madhoshi, Mai-chek, Maklam-tah-chang, Manjadi, Manjetti, Mwetkwem, Nabis, Phak lam, Phak mak lam, Pohon saga merah, Pomea, Rakta kambal, Red Sandalwood, Saga hutan, Saga, Sa lae khwo, Telentundalel, Thorligunj, Trachquach, Volantsaramanga, Ywe, Ywe-gyi, Ywe-ni

Synonyms

Adenanthera gersenii Scheffr; Adenanthera polita Miq.; Corallaria parvifolia Rumph.;