Teri pods
Moullava digyna

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A thorny slightly climbing bush. It grows 2-6 m tall. Young parts have rusty brown hairs. The branches have prickles that curve back. The leaves are 17-23 cm long. They have 8-13 pairs of leaflet stalks along the main stalk then 7-12 pairs of leaflets along these. Flowers are in groups at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. The petals are yellow. The pods are brown and 4-5 cm long by 2 cm wide. There are 2-4 seeds.

There are about 150 Caesalpinia species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in open forest and cleared land. It occurs below 1200 m altitude in the tropics. In China it grows near sea shores between 200-300 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are cooked in ashes and eaten. CAUTION: The pods are rich in tannin.

Edible parts

Fruit, pods, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Gilo, Khvaw baba, Kalein, Khvaw banla, Kochoi, Mak-sup-ka-lun, Moc-meo xanh, Nune-gacca, Sun-lethe, Umul-kuchi, Vakeri-mul, Vakerimula

Synonyms

Caesalpinia digyna Rottler; Caesalpinia flavicans Graham; Caesalpinia gracilis Miq.; Caesalpinia oleosperma Roxb.; Guilandina oleosperma Roxb.;