Inga vera - Guabita cansaboca
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Fabaceae
Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean.
Moist forest, along riverbanks and sheltered ravines. 10-2300 meters above sea level. 12 meters tall.
Ecological value:
Fast growing, produces fruits year round. Attracts pollinators. Has a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria that form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen which can be shared with neighboring plants.
Material uses:
Wood, heavy and strong, but of low durability being susceptible to attack from wood-boring insects. Used for boxes, pencils and toys. Good source of fuelwood. The bark contains tannins which is used for dyeing textiles.
Edible uses:
Seeds of this tree are found within a sugary edible pulp while providing flowers for
bees to make honey out of year round.
Medicinal use:
The bark is used for anemia. The root is used to treat gallstones and the pulp is treats constipation. The pulp is diuretic and astringent.
Other details:
Planted on coffee and cocoa plantations to provide shade - are large enough at 3 years of age. They
respond well to heavy pruning and are effective at stabilizing soils.
Research:
Aria Shehas/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Inga Vera Willd. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1006087-2.
“Inga Vera - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Inga+vera.
Lorenzi. H., ‘Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition’, Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil, 2002
Uphof. J. C. Th., ‘Dictionary of Economic Plants’, Weinheim, 1959
Image source: David J. Stang.