Inga feuilleei (named after Louis Feuillée[2]), commonly known as pacay or ice-cream bean tree,[3] is a tree in the family Fabaceae native to Andean valleys of northwestern South America.[3][4] Pacay trees, as is the case with other trees in genus Inga, produce pods that contain an edible white pulp and have nitrogen-fixing roots.[3]
| Inga feuilleei | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leaves and fruits | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Inga |
| Species: | I. feuilleei
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| Binomial name | |
| Inga feuilleei | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
editPacay is a medium to large sized tree up to 18 m (59 ft) tall.[5][6] Indumentum of pubescent hairs with rusty color on young branchlets, leaf rhachis and inflorescences.[7] Leaves have 3-5 pairs of oblong-elliptic leaflets, with a terminal leaflet of ca. 10–20 cm long.[7] Inflorescences in spikes to 3 cm long. Pods, flat, 20 cm long or more.[7]
In English they have been called "ice-cream beans" due to the sweet flavor and smooth texture of the pulp. Naturally growing Inga trees produce abundant root nodules, which fix nitrogen, thus adding nitrogen to the soil rather than taking it away, hence benefitting the land by increasing fertility levels. Inga feuilleei is a legume tree that is medium to large in length. Its height can reach an average of 60 feet or taller and will stand temperatures as high as 30 degree Celsius when mature. At low temperatures, these trees are often damaged. These trees generally occur near river banks, so it has year round irrigation. Inga species are dependable, they produce in abundance, and they provide sustenance in bad times. A family can produce food without occupying the farmland used for food crops, because they can grow on sites neglected by agriculture. They grow rapidly, are tolerant of diverse soils, and are resistant to disease and fire. These trees are easy to establish, spread their shade quickly, and provide fruit for years. The fruits of the trees are quite edible and are often consumed by people of regions where this fruit grows. In Mexico, coffee-plantation workers can double their annual salary by selling the pods from the Inga trees used to shade the coffee plants. In Central America, the seeds are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In Mexico, the seeds are roasted and sold outside theaters to moviegoers. In Costa Rica, the fruit is also known as Guaba, and is associated with good luck.[8]
Gallery
edit-
Pacay Seedling 1 year -
Pacay Bean -
Flowers -
Cross section of Bean -
New Leaves
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Future
editPacay and other inga trees have important futures. They are multipurpose trees and are potentially valuable additions to gardens, orchards, fields, hedgerows, or wayside wastelands throughout most warm parts of the world. They also have outstanding prospects as urban trees for much of the tropics. They are a source of snacks for the owners and cash for the enterprising.
References
edit- ^ "The Plant List: A Working list of All Plant Species".
- ^ "Inga feuilleei". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- ^ a b c "Pacay - Ice-cream Beans". Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. The National Academies Press. 1989. pp. 277–285. doi:10.17226/1398. ISBN 978-0-309-04264-2.
- ^ "Tropicos | Name - !Inga feuillei DC". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Inga feuilleei". ecocrop.fao.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Pacay - Inga feuillei". www.tradewindsfruit.com. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ a b c Francis, Macbride, J. "Flora of Peru /". biodiversitylibrary.org. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Fruit of the month: Guaba". Costa Rica.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.