Dialium guineense
Dialium guineense | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Genus: | Dialium |
Species: | D. guineense
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Binomial name | |
Dialium guineense | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Dialium guineense, the velvet tamarind,[3] is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree in the family Fabaceae. It has small, typically grape-sized, edible fruits with brown, hard, inedible shells.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Dialium guineense is native to West Africa, from Senegal east to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1] It grows in dense forests along the southern edge of the Sahel.
Uses
[edit]The bark and leaves have medicinal properties and are used against several diseases.[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Dialium_guineense_fruit.jpg/220px-Dialium_guineense_fruit.jpg)
Fruit
[edit]Each fruit typically has one hard, flat, round, brown seed, typically 7-8 millimeters across and 3 millimeters thick. The seed somewhat resembles a watermelon seed (Citrullus lanatus). Some have two seeds. The seeds are shiny, coated with a thin layer of starch.
The pulp is edible and may be eaten raw or soaked in water and consumed as a beverage. The bitter leaves are ingredients in a Ghanaian dish called domoda.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/African_Velvet_tamarind.jpg/220px-African_Velvet_tamarind.jpg)
Timber
[edit]Wood is hard and heavy and used for construction. The wood is also used for firewood and charcoal production
References
[edit]- ^ a b IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group & Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) (2022). "Dialium guineense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T204813231A204813233. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Dialium guineense". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Dialium guineense". European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). Retrieved 22 April 2024.
External links
[edit]- World Agroforestry
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Dialium guineense". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
Media related to Dialium guineense at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Dialium guineense at Wikispecies