Swartzia simplex

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 5-15 m tall. The crown is often irregular. The trunk is crooked and 10-40 cm across. The leaves can have one leaflet. The leaves are 6-15 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. The fruit are oval and 3-5 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The fruit are red when ripe. There are black seeds in a white pulp.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It is an under-storey tree in forests. It grows in humid and wet locations at low to medium elevations. In the West Indies it grows between 100-485 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, South America, Trinidad, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit, aril

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Possira simplex Sw.; Rittera grandiflora Vahl; Rittera simplex (Sw.) Vahl; Swartzia calophylla Poepp.; Swartzia grandiflora (Vahl) Willd.; Swartzia simplex var. genuina Urb.; Swartzia simplex var. jamaicensis Urb.; Swartzia simplicifolia Willd.; Tounatea calophylla (Poepp.) Taub.; Tounatea jamaicensis (Urb.) Britton & Rose; Tounatea simplex (Sw.) Taub.; Tunatea simplex (Sw.) Kuntze;