Inga ruiziana
G.Don
Fabaceae
Common Name:
General Information
Inga ruiziana is a small or medium-sized tree with a spreading crown; usually growing up to 15 metres tall but with some specimens up to 25 metres. The bole is moderately straight and cylindrical, often branching from near the ground and up to 38cm in diameter[
333- Title
- Tree Species of Panama
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
,
408- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1966
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.
,
453- Title
- Woods of Northeastern Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum Press; Chicago.
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Gives information on the properties of the wood of well over 1,000 species of woody plants from northeastern Peru. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The edible fruit is harvested from the wild for local use. It is sometimes sold in local markets[
]. The tree is often planted in Costa Rica and Panama to provide shade in coffee and cacao plantations[
408- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1966
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
315- Title
- Flora of Barro Colorado Island
- Publication
-
- Author
- Croat. Thomas B.
- Website
- http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/croat/home
- Publisher
- Stanford University Press
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
- 0-8047-0950-5
- Description
- A very good flora of an area in Panama. Written some years ago, so some of the names have been changed. The book is out of print, but the whole flora is now available on the web.
,
408- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1966
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.
Range
S. America - Bolivia, western Brazil, north through Central America to Nicaragua.
Habitat
Wet lowland areas[
408- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1966
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.
]. Tropical moist forests[
315- Title
- Flora of Barro Colorado Island
- Publication
-
- Author
- Croat. Thomas B.
- Website
- http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/croat/home
- Publisher
- Stanford University Press
- Year
- 1978
- ISBN
- 0-8047-0950-5
- Description
- A very good flora of an area in Panama. Written some years ago, so some of the names have been changed. The book is out of print, but the whole flora is now available on the web.
]. Found mainly in lowland areas, growing in dry, loamy soils in old clearings or along the margins of forests[
453- Title
- Woods of Northeastern Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum Press; Chicago.
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Gives information on the properties of the wood of well over 1,000 species of woody plants from northeastern Peru. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 10.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A tree of the lowland moist tropics.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].
Edible Uses
The seedpods contain an edible, sweet tasting pulp surrounding the seeds[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
,
333- Title
- Tree Species of Panama
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
].
Medicinal
Various medicinal uses have been reported for the plant[
].
Agroforestry Uses:
Used as shade trees in the lower coffee belt or in the cacao grove at below 600 metres elevation[
408- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 53
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1966
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains an excellent treament of a section of the genus Inga. An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet.
].
Inga species generally have a number of factors that make them popular for use as shade trees in coffee and cacao plantations:- they grow quickly and so soon make an effecte shade; they respond well to drastic pruning and so are easy to keep within the required size and shade levels; they promote and maintain soil fertility; they are effective soil stabilizers[
1309- Title
- The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation
- Publication
-
- Author
- Allen O.N.; Allen E.K.
- Publisher
- University of Wisconsin
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-333-32221-5
- Description
- An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
].
Other Uses
The thin layer of reddish-brown heartwood is surrounded by the paler sapwood, which has creamy yellow or pinkish brown streaks and fine dark gray lines. The wood is moderately heavy to heavy, firm, and compact. It appears to be durable[
453- Title
- Woods of Northeastern Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Williams L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Field Museum Press; Chicago.
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Gives information on the properties of the wood of well over 1,000 species of woody plants from northeastern Peru. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The wood is used mainly for fuel[
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
