Dialium guineense, the velvet tamarind,[3] is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree in the family Fabaceae. It has small, typically grape-sized, edible fruits with brown, hard, inedible shells.
The bark and leaves have medicinal properties and are used against several diseases.[citation needed]
Fruit
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.
African Velvet tamarind
Timber
Wood is hard and heavy and used for construction. The wood is also used for firewood and charcoal production
