Inga edulis

Inga edulis (family Leguminosae Mimosoideae) Commonly known as the ice cream bean. It is indigenous to Central and South America and introduced elsewhere in the tropics, including Africa. The fruit pulp is used in flavouring desserts. The pods are eaten as vegetables. 

Silva EM, Pompeu DR, Larondelle Y, Rogez H (2007) Optimisation of the adsorption of polyphenols from Inga edulis leaves on macroporous resins using an experimental design methodology. Sep Purif Technol 53 274-280... 

Widespread species (e.g. Inga edulis Mart.) were coded for only the area from which they were sampled, which subtracts real ambiguity from the analysis because a clade may then be distinctly geographically distributed, but only as an artefact of not including all possible areas of occurrence for the constituent species. 

Moderate to high nutrient concentrations in leafy biomass (e.g. 2.0-3.5% N, 0.2-0.3% P, 1-3% K and 0.5-1.5% Ca). Interpreting data for micronutrient concentrations in tree and shrub biomass is still difficult. Leafy biomass derived fi om vigorously growing trees of Inga edulis grown on an Ultisol were as follows Mn 112, Cu 13, Zn 35, and Fe 95 mg (77). 

Rapid litter decay (1 to 3 weeks) where tree biomass is used to provide nutrients to associated crops (e.g. Leucaena kucocephala, Sesbania sesban, Gliricidia sepium) or slow decay (2 to 6 months) when tree biomass is used as mulch for weed suppression and soil protection (e.g. Inga edulis and Flemingia macrophylla). 

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