Tamarindus indica is probably indigenous to tropical Africa, but has been cultivated for so long on the Indian subcontinent that it is sometimes reported to be indigenous there. The fruit is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and is high in tartaric acid, sugar, B vitamins, and, unusually for a fruit, calcium. The seeds are somewhat flattened, and a glossy brown. The tamarinds of Asia have longer pods (containing six to 12 seeds), whereas African and West Indian varieties have shorter pods (containing one to six seeds). It is mature when the flesh is coloured brown or reddish brown. The fruit has a fleshy, juicy, acidic pulp. The fruit is an indehiscent legume, sometimes called a pod, 12 to 15 cm ( 4 + 1⁄ 2 to 6 in) in length, with a hard, brown shell. Tamarind tree on the site of the founding of Santa Clara, Cuba Tamarind timber consists of hard, dark red heartwood and softer, yellowish sapwood. The pinnate leaves with opposite leaflets give a billowing effect in the wind. Īs a tropical species, it is frost-sensitive. The branches droop from a single, central trunk as the tree matures, and are often pruned in agriculture to optimize tree density and ease of fruit harvest. The leaflets are bright green, elliptic-ovular, pinnately veined, and less than 5 centimetres (2 inches) in length. The evergreen leaves are alternately arranged and pinnately lobed. It prefers clay, loam, sandy, and acidic soil types, with a high resistance to drought and aerosol salt (wind-borne salt as found in coastal areas). The crown has an irregular, vase-shaped outline of dense foliage. The tamarind is a long-lived, medium-growth tree, which attains a maximum crown height of 12 to 18 metres (40 to 60 feet).
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