HORSE TAMARIND / PETAI JAWA (Leucaena Leucocephala)
This is a small tree of up to 20 meters tall, evergreen, flowering and fruiting throughout the year. The tree is somewhat bushy or scrubby with no characteristic shape of its own. This tree is generally believed to have come from Central America. It is commonly found in wastelands and villages. The fruits are brownish pods, flat, straight and in bunch. Malays eat the pods as a vegetable and the raw seeds are said to be tasty. The Malay name of Petai refers to taste of the raw seed which resembles that of the Petai Tree (Parkia speciosa) although the leaves also resemble that of the Albizia Falcataris. It is used extensively in reforestation in a number of South East Asia countries. In Burma, a paste made from leaves is applied to poisonous bites and stings. The seeds are used to expel intestinal worms in Indonesia and as a remedy for diabetes. In the Philippines, the roasted seeds help to increase the menstrual flow.