Inga chichica, White inga tree
Inga laurina

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 9-20 m tall. It has a low crown. The trunk is 50-70 cm across. The leaves are compound and have 2-3 pairs of leaflets. The end pair of leaflets are 6-13 cm long and the pair at the base are 3-8 cm long. The flowering groups are in the axils of leaves with 1-3 groups of flowers. The flower is like a short bottlebrush of white thread like stamens. The fruit is a curved pod 5-20 cm long. There are 5-15 seeds in a sweet aril.

There are 350 Inga species. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist, lowland limestone areas. It also grows in drier areas. It grows near rivers and the edges of forests. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Antilles, Argentina, Asia, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Reunion, SE Asia, South America (country/location of origin), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The pulp around the seeds of the pod is eaten. The seeds can be eaten.

It is not a popular food.

Edible parts

Fruit - aril, pod pulp, seeds

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe pods are opened and and the seed must not be allowed to dry but planted fresh. Seeds germinate in 15-20 days.

Seedlings are transplanted into the field in 4-5 months.

Its other names

Local names

Caspiro, Caspirol, Chelele, Cuajiniquil, Gina, Guaba vainilla, Guabo, Guama, Guama yaragua, Guamo, Inga-banana, Inga-branco, Inga-da-praia, Inga-de-macaco, Inga-mirim, Inga, Ingai, Nacaspiro, Palal, Pohon inga putih, Pois Doux, Sackysac, Spanish oak, Sweet pea, Swit bonki, Yaragua

Synonyms

Feuilleea fagifolia (L.) Kuntze; Feuilleea laurina (Sw.) Kuntze; Inga fagifolia (L.) Willd. ex Benth.; Inga fagifolia var. pendicellaris Benth.; Inga fagifolia var. belemensis Ducke; Inga tetraphylla (Vell.) Mart.; Inga tetraphylla var. parvifolia Benth.; Inga verrucosa J. Presl.; Mimosa laurina Sw.; Mimosa fagifolia L.; Mimosa fagifolia Jacq.; Mimosa tetraphylla Vell.;