Inga feuilleei
| Inga feuilleei | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leaves and fruits | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Inga |
| Species: | I. feuilleei
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| Binomial name | |
| Inga feuilleei | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Inga feuilleei (named after Louis Feuillée[2]), commonly known as pacay or ice-cream bean tree,[3] is a tree in the family Fabaceae native to Andean valleys of northwestern South America.[3][4] Pacay trees, as is the case with other trees in genus Inga, produce pods that contain an edible white pulp and have nitrogen-fixing roots.[3]
Description
[edit]Pacay is a medium- to large-sized tree up to 18 m (59 ft) tall.[5][6] Indumentum of pubescent hairs with rusty color on young branchlets, leaf rhachis and inflorescences.[7] Leaves have 3-5 pairs of oblong-elliptic leaflets, with a terminal leaflet of ca. 10–20 cm long.[7] Inflorescences in spikes to 3 cm long. Pods, flat, 20 cm long or more.[7]
In English, they have been called "ice-cream beans" due to the sweet flavor and smooth texture of the pulp. Naturally growing Inga trees produce abundant root nodules, which fix nitrogen, thus adding nitrogen to the soil rather than taking it away, hence benefitting the land by increasing fertility levels. I. feuilleei is a legume tree that iscan reach an average of 60 feet or taller and withstand temperatures as high as 30°C when mature. At low temperatures, these trees are often damaged. These trees generally occur near riverbanks, so it has year-round irrigation. Inga species are dependable, producing fruit in abundance and providing sustenance in bad times. A family can produce food without occupying the farmland used for food crops, because they can grow on sites neglected by agriculture. They grow rapidly, are tolerant of diverse soils, and are resistant to disease and fire. These trees are easy to establish, spread their shade quickly, and provide fruit for years. The fruits of the trees are quite edible and are often consumed by people of regions where this fruit grows. In Mexico, coffee-plantation workers can double their annual salary by selling the pods from the Inga trees used to shade the coffee plants. In Central America, the seeds are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In Mexico, the seeds are roasted and sold outside theaters to moviegoers. In Costa Rica, the fruit is also known as guaba, and is associated with good luck.[8]
Gallery
[edit]-
Pacay Seedling 1 year -
Pacay Bean -
Flowers -
Cross section of Bean -
New Leaves
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References
[edit]- ^ "The Plant List: A Working list of All Plant Species".
- ^ "Inga feuilleei". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- ^ a b c "Pacay - Ice-cream Beans". Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. The National Academies Press. 1989. pp. 277–285. doi:10.17226/1398. ISBN 978-0-309-04264-2.
- ^ "Tropicos | Name - !Inga feuillei DC". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Inga feuilleei". ecocrop.fao.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Pacay - Inga feuillei". www.tradewindsfruit.com. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ a b c Francis, Macbride, J. "Flora of Peru /". biodiversitylibrary.org. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Fruit of the month: Guaba". Costa Rica.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.