Taxon:  Tamarindus indica L.



Summary
Genus:
Tamarindus
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Detarioideae
Nomen number:
36219
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:34.  1753
Verified:
01/29/1988 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
57 (16  active, 4  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  5. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
  6. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun.
  7. Borlaug, N. et al., eds. 2008. Fruits: Tamarind. In: National Research Council, Lost crops of Africa. 3:149-163.
  8. Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
  9. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  10. Du Puy, D. 1997. The Leguminosae of Madagascar. Bot. Mag. 14:235-237.
  11. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  12. Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
  13. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  14. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  15. Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops Academic Press.
  16. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  17. Isely, D. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(2):181.
  18. Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
  19. León, B. 1995. pers. comm. Note: re. Portuguese (Brazil) common names
  20. León, B. 2009. pers. comm. Note: re. Spanish common names
  21. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 484.
  22. Lock, J. M. & K. Simpson. 1991. Legumes of West Asia: a checklist
  23. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  24. Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
  25. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  26. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  27. McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
  28. National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
  29. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  30. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  31. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  32. Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
  33. Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
  34. Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
  35. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  36. Verdcourt, B. 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes.
  37. 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) 2:298.
  38. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  39. Yaacob, O. & S. Subhadrabandhu. 1995. The production of economic fruits in South-East Asia
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishIndian tamarind  1Verheij, 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) 2:298.
Englishkilytree  1Du Puy, D. 1997. The Leguminosae of Madagascar. Bot. Mag. 14:235-237.
Englishtamarind  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Frenchtamarin  2National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Frenchtamarindier  2National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Frenchtamarinier  2National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
GermanTamarinde  2Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
GermanTamarindenbaum  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesetamarindeiro  2Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Portuguese (Brazil)tâmara-da-Índia  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)tamarinda  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)tamarindo  2León, B. 1995. pers. comm. Note: re. Portuguese (Brazil) common names
Portuguese (Brazil)tamarindo-do-Egito  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)tamarino  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishtamarindo  2León, B. 2009. pers. comm. Note: re. Spanish common names
Swedishtamarind  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaCabo Verde  Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaYemenArkhabīl Suquţrá Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBenin  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBurkina Faso  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea-Bissau  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNiger  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaTogo  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCentral African Republic  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen  Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
2Cultivated    widely cult. 
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Chad, Yemen [Arkhabīl Suquţrá]
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen
Cultivated (widely cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  3. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmentalshade/shelter Du Puy, D. 1997. The Leguminosae of Madagascar. Bot. Mag. 14:235-237.
Food additivesflavoring Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Food additivesflavoring Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 484.
Food additivesflavoring Du Puy, D. 1997. The Leguminosae of Madagascar. Bot. Mag. 14:235-237.
Fuelscharcoal National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Fuelscharcoal Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
Human foodbeverage base Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 484.
Human foodfruit Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 484.
Materialsbeads Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore 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=36219. Accessed 17 April 2026.