Guabilla, Margined inga
Inga marginata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 5-15 m high. The trunk is smooth and 30-50 cm across. The leaves are compound. There are 2-3 pairs of leaflets. The end pair of leaflets are 7-18 cm long and the pair at the base 4-12 cm long. The flowers are in spikes in the axils of leaves. They are 4-11 cm long. They can occur singly or in groups. The flowers are white and have a scent. The fruit is a pod about 10 cm long by 1 cm wide.

There are 350 Inga species. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical America. It will grow in the tropics and subtropics. It grows in moist and wet zones. In Argentina it grows below 700 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico - Chiapas, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Paraguay, Peru (country/location of origin), South America, Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh. It is the pulp of the pod which is eaten.

The fruit are sold in local markets and are popular. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit - aril, pod pulp

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are removed from the pod and must not be allowed to dry out but planted fresh. They germinate in a few days.

Plants grow quickly in the field.

Its other names

Local names

Anga-feijao, Bene, Caramacate, Chinivo, Chunta pakay, Dayuhue, Guaba agria, Guaba partida, Guama del rio, Guamo churimo, Inga feijao, Inga mirim, Inga-dedo, Inga, Ingai, Ingay, Inza fino, Mimontang, Mimotawe, Mimoton, Pacae, Pacai, Pacay kala, Pakay, Pichillo, Pilinga, Pi shillu, Shimbillo, Shipi xenane, Siri bene, Siri fino, Sisi pene, Tserempach, Warakusa

Synonyms

Inga semialata (Vell.) Mart.; Mimosa semialata Vell.; Feuilleeana marginata (Willd.) Kuntze; Inga sapida Kunth.; Inga guayaquilensis G. Don.; Inga odorata G. Don; Inga excelsa Poepp. & Endl.; Inga puberula Benth.; Inga pycnostachya Benth.; Inga semialata var. latifolia Benth.; Inga leptostachya Spruce & Benth.; Inga fagifolia var. marginata (Willd.) Hassl.; Inga fagifolia var. intermedia Hassl.; Inga marginata var. itayensis J.F. Macbr.; Inga tysonii T.S. Elias;