Inga venusta

Standley

Graceful inga, Charming inga

FabaceaeFruitPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit - aril, Pod pulp

Fruit - raw. The white pulp surrounding the seeds has a sweet flavour. The yellowish to black seedpods are 26 - 35cm long.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland mountain regions and in the wet lowlands.

Amazon, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guianas, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname,

Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Uruguay, Venezuela

How to Identify

A tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. The trunk is 10-40 cm across. Branching is low down. The leaves have leaflets in 3 pairs. The leaflet stalks have wings. There are soft red hairs on the twigs. The fruit are seed pods 26-35 cm long.

How to Grow

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

Other Uses

The wood of Inga species is generally attractive, but it has a coarse texture, is susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites and is not durable in the soil. The wood is used for fuel.

Notes

Also as Mimosaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Aague, Aawe, Cotopacay, Kumpari, Piguian, Wikatawe, Yakum sampi

Inga callicarpa N. ZamoraInga cyclocarpa Ducke non (Jacq.) Willd.Inga urabensis L. Uribe

References (8)

Condit, R., et al, 2011, Trees of Panama and Costa Rica. Princeton Field Guides. p 206
Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.wdt.qc.ca)
Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 327
ILDIS Legumes of the World http:www;ildis.org/Legume/Web
Kew Plants of the World On line
Lopez-Diago, D. & Garcia, N., 2021, Wild edible fruits of Colombia. Biota ColomBiana 22 (2) p 39
Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
Torre, de la, L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 348