Jatoba-miudo
Hymenaea martiana

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 8-18 m high. It has a leafy crown. The branches are swollen and hairy when young. The trunk is 40-90 cm across. The leaves are compound with 2 leaflets. They are 5-7 cm long by 3 cm wide. The flowers are at the ends of branches. They are white. The fruit is cylinder shaped pods 15 cm long. They have 5-8 seeds.

It is also used in medicine. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in secondary forest on flood plains in Brazil. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, North America, Paraguay, South America (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The aril or later around the seeds is eaten raw.

Edible parts

Aril, fruit

How it is grown

The plant is grown from seeds. The seeds are removed from the pod and the pulp removed. The tough seed coat needs to be scratched to enable them to germinate more easily. Seeds need to be planted fresh. Seeds grow in 15-30 days.

Plants grow slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cynometra martiana (Hayne) Baill.; Hymenaea sellowiana Hayne;