Dogfruit, Soap-bark tree, Ta nyen
Archidendron bigeminum

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 12 m tall. The bark is reddish-brown. The leaves are alternate and twice divided. The leaf stem is 10-11 cm long with leaflets along the side. These are 11-13 cm long and slender. The flowers are white and in round heads. The tree have long twisted pods. They are 10 cm long by 2 cm wide. There are 3-8 seeds.

There are 20-37 Pithecellobium species. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Sri Lanka

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The seeds produce dysentery. The seeds have been used as a spice to preserve fish.

Edible parts

Seeds, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Atthaperantha, Kattukonna, Muthakolappan, Pannivaka, Varikiri

Synonyms

Abarema abeywickramae Kosterm.; Inga bigemina (L.) Willd.; Mimosa bigemina L.; Pithecellobium bigeminum (L.) Mart.; and others