Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

' LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
CASSIA SUBFAMILY (CAESALPINIOIDEAE; CAESALPINIACEAE)
80. Tamarindo, tamarind
This well-known handsome planted tree, whose
sour pods are used in a refreshing drink, is characterized
by: (1) a generally dense crown of
feathery, plnnate leaves 24% inches long, wit11
10-18 pairs of oblong blue-green leafl3ts 3/8-7/8 inch
long and 1/8-% inch broad; (2) showy flowers
about 1 inch across, pale yellow tinged ~vith red,
several in terminal and lateral clusters (racemes)
1%-6 inches long; and (3) the gray, rough, thick
pods 1%-5 inches long, containing dark brown
edible pulp around the seeds. Showy when in frill
bloom, the flowers giving yellowish color to the
tree.
A medium-sized tree to 40 feet high and with
usually a short trunk to 3 feet in diameter or
larger, with a rounded crown of dense fine foliage,
except on very dry sites. The bark is rough, much
fissu~.ed, gray or brown, and thick. Inner bark
is brownish, gritty, and slightly bitter in taste.
The twigs are green and minutely hairy 11-hen
young, turning gray or brown.
The leaves are alternate. Leaflets are almost
stalkless and close together along a slender pale
green axis, rounded at both ends and oblique at
base, not toothed, thin, blue green above and
slightly paler beneath, folding agninst axis at
night.
The flowers are slightly irregular shaped, delicate,
and on slender stalks. Flo\ver buds are dark
red. The narrow, pale p n ban1 tube (hypanthinm)
is 5/16 inch long; theIre are 4 pale yellow
sepals 1/2 inch long; 3 pale yellow petals with red
reins, lceeled and broader toward the finely wavy
apex, the 2 outer ones y8 inch long and central
petal 3/8 inch long, 2 otl~er petals rednced to min-
ute scales; 3 greenish stamens l/!L inch long, united
by filaments to middle, and 2 minute sterile sta-
Inens: and a green beanlilce pistil ys inch long with
stalked I-celled ovary and curved style.
The heavy, often curved pods are about 11/24
inches long, %-I inch micle, and 3/g-s inch thick,
slightly constrictecl between the seeds, with n
brittle outer shell, and not splitting open. Usually
8 or 4 fli~ttened shiny brown seeds % inch long
are imbedded in the dark brown, fibrous pulp,
\vhich is edible though very sour. Seeds 400 to a
pound. Flowering mainly from spring to fall and
fruiting from winter to spring.
Tamarindus indica L.*
The sapwood is light yellow and moderate1
soft, and the slnall heartwood dark purplis 4
o n . The wood is described as very hard,
heavy (specific gravity 0.9), and takes a fine polish.
It is strong and durable, although very susceptible
to attack by dry-I\-ood termites.
'I'he mood is used chiefly for fuel and is reported
to genernte great heat. In other places
where the species is sufficiently common, the mood
is employed for construction, tool handles, furniture,
and articles in woodturning but is considered
very difficult to work. Good cht~rcoal for gunpowder
formerly was manufactured from it.
Ct~ndy and preserves, as well as the beverage,
itre prepared from the edible pods. The young
tender sour fruits hnve been cooked for seasoning
meats, and the youn leaves and flowers reportedly
consumed ns food. gesides making the trees ornamental,
the flowers attract bees and are an important
source of honey. However, the litter of
the pods is objectionable in street plantin In
India the trees are planted 011 forest firebre3s because
the ground underneath usually is bare.
The fruit pulp is employed in home medicine
and formerly mas official as the source of a laxative.
It contains su ar as well as acetic, tartaric, and
citric acids an f is antiscorbutic. Decoctions from
flowers, seeds, youn leaves, and bark of the plant
have been used me 2 icinally also. A yellow dye
has been obtained from the leaves.
Planted in Puerto Rico mainly for the fruits
nnd ornatnent and shade and occasionally naturalized.
Fairly common around houses, along roads,
and on hillsides in the co:lstal regions, mainly on
,
the
honlns,
dry coast.
St. John,
Also
and
in
Tortola.
Vieques, St. Croix, St.
I .
R.\NGE.-Native of the Old World tropics but
widely planted and naturalized in tropical and
subtropical regions and introduced into the New
\Vorld at a very early date. Cultivated and often
nntnmlized t;liroughout \Vest Indies and from
Ilexico to Brazil. Planted also in southern
Florida including Florida Keys and in Bermuda.
OTIIER co~raro~ NAXES.-taman, ttlmarindade
(Virgin Islands) ; tamarind0 (Spanish) ; tamarind
(United Stntes, English) ; tamarin, tamarinier,
tamarindier (French) ; tamarijn tamarind
(Dutch West Indies) ; tamarinde (6urinam) ;
tamrtrindo (Brazil).