Guiana mora
Mora excelsa

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 50 m tall. The trunk is 2 m across. It can have buttresses 5 m tall and 4 m wide. The leaves are alternate and have 6-8 leaflets. The leaflets are opposite and leathery and 14 cm long by 6 cm wide. The flowering shoots are at the ends of branches and have dense spikes 15 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. The flowers are white and cup shaped. The fruit is a brown flattened woody pod. It is 20 cm long by 7 cm wide and 5 cm thick. It splits open along its length. The edges coil up once open. There are 1-2 seeds that are kidney shaped and 9 cm long by 5 cm wide and 4 cm thick. They have a thin wall.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist to wet places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil, Colombia, Guianas, Guyana, South America, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The seeds are hard so are soaked in water for a week then scraped and added to cassava bread.

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dautara, Maho rouge, Mora, Moraboekea, Morabukea, Mora rouge, Mo'ra, Nato, Nato rojo, Parakuwa, Peto, Pracuuba, Prakue, Witte mora

Synonyms

Dimorphandra excelsa (Benth.) Baill.; Dimorphandra guianensis (R.H.Schomb. ex Benth. & Hook.f.) Baill.; Dimorphandra mora Benth. & Hook.f.; Dimorphandra mora R.H.Schomb. ex Benth.; Mora guianensis R.H.Schomb. ex Benth. & Hook.f.;