Guarango nitta tree
Parkia multijuga

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 20-40 m tall. The trunk is 50-100 cm across. The leaves are compound and alternate. They are 12-20 cm long and twice divided. There are 20-40 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are in yellow heads. The fruit is a curved bean pod 20-25 cm long and 7-9 cm wide. It has about 14 seeds.

Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands and up to 450 m above sea level. It grows in areas with a rainfall of 2,200 mm. per year. The temperature is 25-27°C.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, South America, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The seeds are ground and mixed with flour.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds need to be scratched to break the hard seed coat. They should then be soaked in water fro 24 hours before planting.

Plants grow quickly. In the Amazon it flowers August to October and fruit ripen November to December.

Its other names

Local names

Arapary-branco, Arara-tucupi, Bajao, Bengue macaw, Ca'jeto'o, Cutunga, Dormilon, Faveira, Faveira-arara-tucupi, Faveira-bengue, Faveira-parkia, Gatota, Guarango, Kotanga, Pachaco, parica, Pashaco curtidor, Pinho-cuibano, Talar, Tambury, Tangama, Tankam, Tucupi, Varjao

Synonyms

Dimorphandra megacarpa Rolfe;