Re: Tree Identification

Cyndi Norman wrote:
> 
>    Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 08:55:19 +1300
>    From: Tony and Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
> 
>    "I came home from Costa Rica with a seed from a tree which has a very
>    interesting leaf structure.  The seeds are lima bean sized and grow in
>    large brown pods about 8 inches long.  The pods are sold at roadside
>    stands as a delicacy.  The seed coating is delicious.  The leaf starts
>    out looking normal enough, but keeps growing at the tip into a "Y"
>    shape.  I have posted a picture of it on my web site:
>    http://home.usadatanet.net/~sculp/Greenhouse/Unknown.JPG.";
> 
> My first thought was the same as Richard's: Tamarind.  But I don't know if
> the leaves are the same.
> 
Hi Cyndi
Several people suggested Tanmarind, but in the end it was tracked down
to a species of Inga (otherwise known as the "Icecream bean") which
seemed to satisfy the enquirer.

Not a genus I know anything of personally -far too tropical to grow in
NZ. I eventually found some  pictures of Inga in an Australian gardening
book which I only recently bought (precisely because it does give pics
of some hot climate species which others on the list mention from time
to time)..

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index