Taxon: Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth.

Summary

Genus:

Pithecellobium

Family:

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)

Subfamily:

Caesalpinioideae

Tribe:

Ingeae

Nomen number:

28697

Place of publication:

London J. Bot. 3:199. 1844

Verified:

05/01/1993 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

17 (1 active, 1 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Inga dulcis (Roxb.) Willd.
Mimosa dulcis Roxb.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim. Note: cult.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: natzd.
IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
Isely, D. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(1):113.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936-. Flora of Peru Note: 1936-1971; new ser. 1980-
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:256.
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	blackbead	1	National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
English	camachile	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	guayamochil	1	Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:256.
English	Madrasthorn	1	Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
English	Manila-tamarind	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	sweet-inga	1	Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:256.
French	pois sucré	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Camambilarinde	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Hawaiian	opiuma	2	National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
Spanish	guamúchil	2	McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Spanish	huamúchil	2	McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Spanish	madre de flecha	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela		w.	Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia		n. & w.	Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere in tropics

Native
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chiapas, Colima, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Puebla, Querétaro, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela (w.)
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia (n. & w.)

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere in tropics)

Reference(s)

Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	agroforestry		Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
Environmental	ornamental		Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
Environmental	shade/shelter		National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
Environmental	soil improver		Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1997. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part II. Pithecellobium, Cojoba, and Zygia. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(2):23-25.
Fuels	fuelwood	not best quality	National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
Human food	fruit		National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Materials	beads		Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
Materials	wood		National Academy of Sciences. 1980. Firewood crops. Shrub and tree species for energy production
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=28697. Accessed 15 April 2026.