Inga ingoides

Description

A tree. It grows 10-25 m tall. The twigs are fairly thick. They are angular and have a reddish-brown covering when young. The leaves are compound. The leaflets are papery. They hang down when young. The flower heads are in the axils of leaves. They are short and dense. The fruit is a cylinder shaped pod. It is usually twisted. It is 35 cm long by 1 cm across. It has a yellow-brown covering. They have furrows along them. The seeds are in a sweet edible, white pulp.

Edible Uses

The sweet white pulp surrounding the seeds in the pods is eaten, and the seeds themselves are also edible.

Medicinal Uses

I. edulis is widely used in native South American folk medicine. Decoctions of the leaves, bark, or root commonly are used as treatments for diarrhea, arthritis, and rheumatism. Crushed, boiled leaves are ingested to relieve coughing or applied to lip sores, possibly caused by herpes. Several studies have investigated I. edulis as a source of polyphenols for use as antioxidants and have shown promising results. .

Known Hazards

I. edulis has been cultivated as a fruit tree for millennia, and is widely sold on the local South American marketplace, mainly for the sweet, succulent pulp surrounding the seeds. The white pulp (aril) is consumed raw as a sweet snack, though it is less nutritious than the seeds. Toxic compounds such as trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors contained in the seeds of I. edulis are destroyed through cooking.The taste is described as resembling that of vanilla ice cream. Some varieties even possess a slight cinnamon flavor. The seeds are edible only when cooked and have a taste similar to that of chickpeas. In Colombia, the arils are also used to prepare an alcoholic beverage called cachiri for a festival of the same name. The native women chew the arils and spit the mixture into a vat, where it is left to ferment. The fruit ripens quickly and can only be kept for three to four days, limiting potential export opportunities, but refrigeration can extend shelf life to about three weeks.

Distribution

A tropical plant. In grows in the coastal plain in wet or dry areas.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Bolivia*, Brazil*, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Lesser Antilles, North America, Peru*, Puerto Rico, South America, Suriname, Trinidad, USA, Venezuela, West Indies,

Cultivation

Plants grow easily from seeds. Seeds germinate in 1-2 weeks given moisture and shade.

Other Uses

There is a thin layer of dull brown heartwood surrounded by an oatmeal-coloured sapwood which has dark brown or black streaks. The wood is of medium density to moderately heavy, it splinters easily and is liable to check in drying. It is little used, other than as fuel.

Other Information

It is also cultivated.

Notes

There are 350 Inga species. Also as Mimosaceae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Coto chupa, Guama, Guamo cafetero, Guabilla, Inga, Pacae colorado, Pacai, Pacay, Warakosa

References (14)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1509
• Bendezu, Y. F., 2018, Arboles nativos de lad Region Ucayali. Instituto Nacional de Innovacion Agraria. p 133
• Flores, Y., 2018, Arboles nativos de la Region Ucayili. Estacion Experimental Agragia Pucallpa. Pucallpa Peru, 375 p. p 133
• Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 321
• ILDIS Legumes of the World http:www;ildis.org/Legume/Web

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