Coronillo blanco
Gleditsia amorphoides

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. The crown is round. The trunk is upright and 30-60 cm across. The bark is rough and with long branched spines. They are 10 cm long. These are absent in older trees. The leaves are compound and have leaflets along the stalk. They can be twice divided. The mainly leaf division is 10-15 cm long with 14-18 leaflets. The secondary leaflets have 2-8 leaflets. The flowers are in groups of three clumps and are 5-6 cm long. The fruit are flattened pods. There are 6-8 very hard seeds.

The gum is also used in other products. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in semi-deciduous forests in the Amazon in Brazil. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, South America, Uruguay

How it is used for food

The fruit produces a gum used in sweets. It is also used as a thickening agent.

Edible parts

Fruit - gum

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seed are removed from ripe fruit and are planted fresh. They should be scratched to break the hard seed coat and will germinate in 4-5 weeks. Seedlings can be transplanted into the field in 5-6 months.

Plants grow at a moderate rate in the field.

Its other names

Local names

Acucara, Caranchi, Coronda, Coronilha, Espina corona, Espinillo, Faveiro, Sucara, Yu guasu, Yvope guazu, Yvopo

Synonyms

Garugandra amorphoides Griseb.; Gleditschia amorphoides (Griseb.) Taub.; Gleditsia amorphoides var. anacantha Burkart;