Inga densiflora
Benth.
Dense flower inga
(c) Katherine Escobar Flor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Katherine Escobar Flor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Katherine Escobar Flor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit - aril, Pod pulp
The fruit is eaten raw. The white pulp surrounding the seeds is highly valued for its sweet flavour.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. In Mexico it grows between 100-2,250 m above sea level. It grows in humid places. It can be in the rainforest or cloud forest.
Amazon, Andes, Belize, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela,
How to Identify
A tree. It grows 6-20 m tall. The flowers are white. The fruit is a long pod.
How to Grow
Plants grow easily from seeds. Seeds germinate in 1-2 weeks given moisture and shade.
Propagation: Seed.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
The tree is grown to provide shade in coffee plantations, mainly in Central America and Venezuela, with the added benefit of enriching the soil through atmospheric nitrogen fixation.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Inga densiflora is a species of Fabaceae described by botanist George Bentham. The native range extends from South-East Mexico to Bolivia. It is the most common species of Inga utilized for its fruits in the highlands of Colombia. The common name is Guamo Salado in Central America and Pacay del Monte (mountain ice-cream-bean) in Bolivia.
Other Information
Fruit are sold in markets. It is highly priced. It is cultivated.
Notes
There are 350 Inga species. Also as Mimosaceae.
Names & Synonyms
A'cho fino, Caite, Cuajiniquil, Eweban, Guaba, Guabo panaco, Guamo, Guabo, Kusillu pakay, Machetona pakay, Machitora, Machinius, Masa turu, Nomonebe, Nuampa, Otensia fino, Pacai machitona, Pilingas pakay, Shimbillo tablacho, Tona pene, Ttofi fino, Yana kara
References (15)
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