Re: Tree Identification

Bridget Lamp wrote:
> 
> We are growing a couple of carob trees here from seed, and they do not look
> like that even when they are young.  Their leaves are dark green and
> leathery from the very beginning!

Bridget thanks for confirming that it was not carob, which helped to
narrow the field.

I just received the following from the original enquirer which seems to
wrap up the problem -

"Thanks to all of you for your help.  We have a solution.

The tree is one of three or four species of Inga.  The Inga edulis, the
"Ice Cream Bean" is the only one that Graf references, but it is
probably
not that one because of the size and shape of the pod as well as the
size
of the beans.  The internet produced pictures of marginata and edulis. 
The
most likely one is Inga marginata, I think.  I. marginata is commonly
known
as "guabilla" (pronounced wahbilla), "guama" (pronounced wahma)
and   "guaba" (pronounced wahba).  I include the pronunciations, because
they are so close to "guava", which is one of the suggested
possibilities.  Also, the common names kind of refresh my memory as to
what
it was called at that roadside stand in Costa Rica.

I guess it's the bean, or fruit, which causes it to be in the
Leguminosae
family.  The pod and flavor are not too different from tamarind.

The strange leaf structure must change as the plant matures, making the
lower leg of the "Y" much slimmer.  Time will tell.  Graf refers to the
structure as "pinnate leaves separated by winged axils".

So now we all know I guess!

Inga was a new genus to me and I was glad to get the chance to learn
something about it.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
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