inga edulis.md

plant/miracle

products

fruit

legume

canopy layer

shader

wiki

plant/type: fast growing nitrogen-fixing tropical tree

properties

• root: deep taproot with extensive lateral roots and nitrogen-fixing nodules
• stem: upright, branching, semi-softwood when young, becoming sturdy with age
• leaf: alternate, pinnately compound with 4–6 pairs of leaflets, elliptical with pointed tips
  • leaf-length:: 20–35 cm (compound leaf)
• flower: cream-white, fuzzy, brush-like, fragrant, clustered in axillary inflorescences
• fruit: long, cylindrical pods (30–100 cm) with pulpy edible white aril surrounding seeds
• bark: thin, light gray-brown, slightly fissured on mature trees
• timber: light, low-density, used for firewood and local construction
• environment:: thrives in humid tropical climates with rich soils, moderate shade tolerance, and year-round rainfall
  • climate:: humid lowland tropics, tolerates periodic drought and temporary flooding
    • sun:: 600–900 W/m²
    • no-sun-days:: 10–15 days
    • water:: 1500–3500 mm/year
    • no-water-days:: 20–30 days
    • humidity:: 70–95 %
    • fog-resistance:: 10–15 days
    • max-temp:: 40 °C
    • optimal-temp:: 22–30 °C
    • min-temp:: 5 °C
    • wind-damage:: cold-dry, strong-salty
  • soil:: well-drained fertile soils with good organic matter, tolerates moderate acidity and temporary flooding
    • soil-ph:: 5.0–6.8
    • soi-type::loamy , clay-loam, alluvial
  • spacing:: 5–10 m depending on use (orchard vs. agroforestry canopy)
    • good-neighbors:: cacao, banana, cassava, piper, ananas
    • bad-neighbors:: eucalyptus, casuarina
    • max-height:: 15 m
    • max-spread:: 12 m
• lifecycle
  • longevity:: 30–40 years
  • germination:: seeds germinate rapidly in 3–10 days, do not store well (recalcitrant)
  • seedling:: fast growing, reaches 1–2 meters in the first year under moist conditions
  • mature:: begins fruiting in 3–5 years, continues annually with high productivity under good care
  • death:: declines with water stress or fungal root issues, usually managed as part of successional systems
• plant/features: nitrogen-fixers, edible fruit, shade tree, pollinator-friendly, soil improver
• layer: canopy, sub-canopy, successional
• products: fresh fruit pulp, seed flour, shade mulch, firewood, green-manure, fodder, pollinator nectar
• chemical compounds

• compounds in fruit

• compounds in seed

• operations
  • propagate plants: grown from seed immediately after harvest, can also propagate by stake or cutting in humid, protected beds
  • maintenance: prune to manage height and shape, especially in agroforestry systems, coppices well, add mulch and compost annually
  • harvest:
    • fruit: harvested when pods mature and become slightly soft, aril is eaten fresh or processed
    • seed: extracted from pulp, dried for flour or animal feed
    • leaves: used as mulch or fodder, collected manually
    • wood: harvested from prunings or old trees for firewood and biochar

• source