Pithecellobium dulce

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Pithecellobium dulce

In Kolkata, West Bengal (India)

ripe Pithecellobium dulce bean

Conservation status

Secure (NatureServe)[1]
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 likePhilippines. 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), guamchil / cuamchil /huamchil (Mexico, Spanish), guam
americano (Puerto Rico), (Plaeh umpel tek) (Khmer), Makham thet Thai:
,opiuma(Hawaiian), kamachile (Filipino),[3]

/
/

kodukkappuli (Tamil),
/dora hunase or seeme hunase (Kannada),

vilayati ambli (Gujarati),

jungle jalebi or ganga imli (Hindi),

tetul (Bengali), seeme hunase (Kannada),

vilayati chinch (Marathi) and

seema
chinta (Telugu).
Contents
[hide]

1 Description

2 Uses

2.1 As food

3 Ecology

4 Synonyms

5 References

6 External links

Description[edit]
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 13.1 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.

Uses[edit]
As food[edit]
The seed pods contain a sweet pulp that can be eaten raw or prepared as a smoothie. [citation needed]

Ecology[edit]
P. dulce is a host plant for the caterpillars of the red-bordered pixie (Melanis pixe), three-spot grass yellow
(Eurema_blanda) and many other moths.[4]

Synonyms[edit]
This