''Pachira glabra'' ( syn. ''Bombacopsis glabra'') is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

, native to eastern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, where it grows along rivers and other waterways. It is generally known by the nonscientific names Guinea peanut, French peanut, Saba nut, money tree, and lucky tree. It shares many of these common names with ''

Pachira aquatica ''Pachira aquatica'' is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. It is known by its common names Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba n ...

'', the Malabar chestnut, which is quite similar looking, has similar culinary and ornamental uses, and is often confused with ''P. glabra''.

Description

Pachira glabra BotGardBln1105LeavesFruitB

''Pachira glabra'' reaches heights of , and its leaves are compound with a fan of 5 to 9 leaflets. It has smooth greenish-gray bark and the trunks are often swollen at the base, even at a young age. Its large, white, fragrant flowers bloom on a long, terminal peduncle, opening at night and dropping by the middle of the following day. Its smooth green fruit split open naturally to reveal 10 to 25 irregularly rounded brown seeds that are roughly in diameter.

Habitat

The tree is highly adaptable to various soils and flourishes in full sun or partial shade. The tree is both drought and flood resistant.

Uses

Culinary use

''P. glabra'' is grown in West and Central Africa as a foodcrop. The seeds are rich in oil and contain 16% protein and 40–50% fat. The seeds taste similar to peanuts and are typically boiled or roasted, with the roasted seeds sometimes ground to make a hot drink. The young leaves and flowers are also edible.

Ornamental use

Young ''P. glabra'' trees can easily be grown in flowerpots and survive a range of conditions as long as they remain above freezing temperatures. They are marketed commercially as ornamentals with several small trees in a single

flowerpot A flowerpot, planter, planterette or plant pot, is a container in which flowers and other plants are cultivated and displayed. Historically, and still to a significant extent today, they are made from plain terracotta with no ceramic glaze, wi ...

, their trunks

braid A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...

ed; specimens are similar in appearance to ''P. aquatica'' and many small ornamentals sold as ''P. aquatica'' are actually ''P. glabra''. However, ''P. aquatica'' has woody gray bark, while ''P. glabras is a smoother greenish-gray, and ''P. aquatica'' will only develop a swollen trunk with age. Likewise, the flowers of ''P. aquatica'' feature red-tipped petals and red anthers, whereas the flowers of ''P. glabra'' are all white. In addition, the ''P. aquatica'' blooms last marginally longer during than those of ''P. glabra''. ''P. glabra'' seeds are green rather than brown and half the size of those of ''P. aquatica''. Seed yields are also lower than those of ''P. aquatica''.

Notes

References

External links

Money Tree Plant – ''Pachira glabra''
Distinguishing ''Pachira glabra'' and ''Pachira aquatica''
Photographs of ''Pachira glabra'' and ''P. aquatica'' flowers
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15378937 Bombacoideae Trees of Brazil Edible nuts and seeds House plants Ornamental trees African cuisine