Velvet tamarind
Dialium ovoideum
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A tall tree. The bark is pale brown. The branches are slender and smooth. The leaves are small with leaflets along the stalk and one at the end. There are 2 pairs of leaflets. The are oval to sword shaped and are rounded at the base. They are dark shiny green. The flowers are very small and white. They are in pyramid shaped groups at the ends of branches. The fruit occur in bunches. The fruit is a pod 1-1.5 cm across. It is almost rounded and has a dense coating of brown hairs. There is one seed.
There are about 40 Dialium species. They grow in tropical SE Asia. They probably all have edible fruit. Also as Caesalpinaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in evergreen forests and near rivers. In XTBG Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Sri Lanka (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are eaten fresh.
The fruit are sold in markets.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Galsiyabala, Kaduliem palam, Kadu puli, Kallu-pullium