Dialium guineense

Dialium guineense, the velvet tamarind, is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree in the family Fabaceae. It has small, typically grape-sized, edible fruits with brown, hard, inedible shells.

Distribution and habitat
Dialium guineense is native to West Africa, from Senegal east to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It grows in dense forests along the southern edge of the Sahel.

Uses
The bark and leaves have medicinal properties and are used against several diseases.



Fruit
Each fruit typically has one hard, flat, round, brown seed, typically 7-8 millimeters across and 3 millimeters thick. The seed somewhat resembles a watermelon seed (Citrullus lanatus). Some have two seeds. The seeds are shiny, coated with a thin layer of starch.

The pulp is edible and may be eaten raw or soaked in water and consumed as a beverage. The bitter leaves are ingredients in a Ghanaian dish called domoda.



Timber
Wood is hard and heavy and used for construction. The wood is also used for firewood and charcoal production