What kind of fruit is this?

November 7, 2008 5:07 PM

What kind of fruit is this?

My BIO100 lab teacher offered extra credit if I can email her the answer. I've looked around the internets, but can not find a match. Any ideas?

http://gallery.me.com/timothyevans#100141&bgcolor=black&view=grid

posted by stlboi to food & drink (5 comments total)

Could be Manila Tamarind.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 5:22 PM on November 7, 2008

Looks like Screwbean Mesquite.
posted by cabingirl at 5:30 PM on November 7, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nthing cabingirl. It's a member of the legume family, for the record.
posted by bradly at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2008

Cabingirl has it. Definitely not a tamarind.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 5:41 PM on November 7, 2008

Amazing how much those screwbean pods look like rattlesnake rattles-- and rattlesnakes are also natives of the screwbean habitat.

The only adaptive explanation that occurs to me is that it might make rodents more reluctant to approach and eat the seeds. Hmm, the seeds rattle when ripe, too. That might make the tree frightening to rodents in the least breeze, also possibly leading to increased seed survival.
posted by jamjam at 6:53 PM on November 7, 2008