| Pithecellobium dulce | |
|---|---|
| In Kolkata, West Bengal (India) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Pithecellobium |
| Species: | P. dulce |
| Binomial name | |
| Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth.[2] |
|
Pithecellobium dulce is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.[2] It is introduced and extensively naturalised in the Caribbean, Florida, Guam and Southeast Asia. It is considered an invasive species in Hawaii.
It is known by the name "Madras thorn", but it is not native to Madras. The name "Manila tamarind" is misleading, since it is neither closely related to tamarind, nor native to Manila. It is called "seema chintakaya" in telugu. The name "monkeypod" is more commonly used for the rain tree (Albizia saman). Other names include blackbead, sweet Inga,[2] cuauhmochitl (Nahuatl), guamúchil / cuamúchil / huamúchil (Mexico, Spanish), guamá americano (Puerto Rico) Makham thet Thai: มะขามเทศ, ʻopiuma (Hawaiian), kamachile (Filipino),[3] વિલાયતી આંબલી vilayati ambli (Gujarati), जंगल जलेबी jungle jalebi or ganga imli (Hindi), তেঁতুল tetul (Bengali), seeme hunase (Kannada), विलायती चिंच vilayati chinch (Marathi) ,கோன புளியங்கா/ கொடுக்காப்புளி kodukkappuli (Tamil) and సీమ చింత seema chinta (Telugu).
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P. dulce is a tree that reaches a height of about 10 to 15 m (33 to 49 ft). Its trunk is spiny and its leaves are bipinnate. Each pinna has a single pair of ovate-oblong leaflets that are about 2 to 4 m (6.6 to 13 ft) long. The flowers are greenish-white, fragrant, sessile and reach about 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, though appear shorter due to coiling. The flowers produce a pod with an edible pulp. The seeds are black.
The seeds are dispersed via birds that feed on the sweet pod. It is drought resistant and can survive in dry lands from sea level to an elevation of 300 m (980 ft), making it suitable for cultivation as a street tree.
The seed pods contain a sweet pulp that can be eaten raw or prepared as a smoothie.
P. dulce is a host plant for the caterpillars of the red-bordered pixie (Melanis pixe).[4]
This plant is known under numerous junior synonyms:[5]