Manila-tamarind

Pithecellobium dulce, the Manila tamarind or guamúchil, is a medium-sized evergreen tree in the family Fabaceae reaching 10 to 15 m in height, with a spiny trunk and a wide-spreading crown. The bipinnate leaves carry leaflets about 2–4 cm long. The greenish-white, fragrant flowers are followed by a distinctive coiled pod that turns pink when ripe and splits to expose shiny, flat black seeds embedded in a pink or white edible pulpy aril. The species is native to Mexico and Central America and northern South America, but has been extensively naturalised in the Caribbean and Florida and, via early Spanish trade routes through the Philippines, across tropical Asia where it is now common in India, the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is drought-resistant and grows from sea level to 1,500 m elevation, often planted as a shade tree, living fence or fodder species.