''Inga'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of small tropical, tough-leaved,

nitrogen-fixing Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmos ...

treesElkan, Daniel. "Slash-and-burn farming has become a major threat to the world's rainforest" ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' 21 April 2004 and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. ''Inga''s leaves are

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

, and flowers are generally white. Many of the hundreds of

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are used ornamentally. Several related plants have been placed into this genus at one time, for example Yopo (Cohoba, Mopo, Nopo or Parica – ''

Anadenanthera peregrina ''Anadenanthera peregrina'', also known as yopo, jopo, cohoba, parica or calcium tree, is a perennial tree of the genus ''Anadenanthera'' native to the Caribbean and South America. It grows up to tall, and has a horny bark. Its flowers grow ...

'' – as ''Inga niopo''). The seeds are covered with sweet white powder. The pulp covering the seeds is lightly fibrous and sweet, and rich in minerals; it is edible in the raw state. The tree's name originates from the

Tupi Tupi may refer to: * Tupi people of Brazil * Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America ** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people * Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil * Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...

word ''in-gá'' meaning "soaked", due to the fruit powder consistency. The tree usually blooms twice a year. Within the ''Inga'' genus there are around 300 species, most of them native and growing in the Amazon forest region although some species are also found in Mexico, Greater and

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

and other countries in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, being an exclusively neotropical genus. The trees are usually found by river and lake edges because their seeds are carried there by floods. Inga-species

All ''Inga'' species produce their seeds in "bean-like" pods and some can reach up to 1 m long, in general the pods are 10–30 cm long. Trees can reach up to 15 metres and they are widely used for producing shade over coffee plants. The plant benefits from well drained soil. The flowers are white with some green and the tree can produce fruits almost all year long. ''Inga'' species, most notably ''

Inga edulis ''Inga edulis'', known as ice-cream bean, ice-cream-bean, joaquiniquil, cuaniquil, guama or guaba, is a fruit native to South America. It is in the Mimosoideae, mimosoid tribe of the legume family Fabaceae. It is widely grown, especially by Indi ...

'' (commonly known as "ice-cream-bean" or, in Spanish, "guama", "guaba", "guaba de bejuco" or "paterna" depending on the country or region) often have edible pulp. The name derives from the fact that those of ''I. edulis'' resembles vanilla ice cream in flavour. In Ecuador, ''Inga edulis'' is known as "guaba de bejuco" and, the other popular species there, '' Inga spectabilis'' , as "guaba de machete".

Use in agroforestry

Alley cropping Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...

techniques using species of ''Inga'' have been developed to restore

soil fertility Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality.

, and thereby stem the tide of continual

slashing and burning Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed vegeta ...

of the rainforest. Species which have proven effective for alley cropping include ''

'' and ''

Inga oerstediana ''Inga oerstediana'' is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. It was described by English botanist George Bentham. It can be found in Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bo ...

''. Much of the research was done by Mike Hands at Cambridge University over a 20-year period. ''Inga'' species are also commonly used as shade trees for

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

, and

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

Other uses

It is often used as lumber in construction and furniture making.

References

External links

* * * ''I. Edulis'' at FACT Ne
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Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q290354 Fabaceae genera Taxa named by Philip Miller

Use in agroforestry

Other uses

See also

References

External links