Marimari
Cassia leiandra

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 4-8 m tall. The crown is sparse. The trunk is twisted. It is 20-30 cm across. The leaves are compound and twice divided. Leaves are alternate and 20-30 cm long. There are 18-24 leaflets. They are 5-6 cm long by 1.7-2.2 cm wide. The flowers are at the ends of branches. Flower stalks are 25-45 cm long. They are very showy and yellow. The flower stalks are 3-5 cm long. The stamen have different forms with long ones forming an S shape. The fruit is a woody pod. It is 40-70 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The seeds are in a juicy, bittersweet pulp.

There are 100 Cassia species. This group has been revised to a smaller more consistent group. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the Amazon in Brazil. It grows naturally on flood plains. It is often near lagoons and canals.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Brazil (country/location of origin), Colombia, South America

How it is used for food

The pulp of the pod is eaten.

It is sometimes cultivated as a fruit tree. The fruit are enjoyed.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are harvested and scratched to break the hard seed coat, then planted fresh. They germinate in 2-4 weeks.

Plants grow quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Fava-marimari, Inga-mari, Marimari-da-varzea, Seruia

Synonyms

Cassia moschata Benth.;