Scientific Name : Pachira glabra Pasq.
Common Name : Guinea peanut, Lucky tree
Chinese Name : 瓜栗, 發財樹
Family : BOMBACACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | South and Southeast Brazil. |
|---|---|
| Application | The wild Guinea peanut is prone to grow in floodplains where the lands are always carpeted by seasonal waterlogging. By virtue of its fast growth rate and appreciable adaptability to drought, shade and high salinity, it always serves as a framework species to revitalize forests. |
| Meanings of name |
The generic name Pachira is derived from the vernacular language in Guyana, referring to ‘sweet water nut’. Guinea peanut is a prominent indoor plant in respect of its decorative tree form and excellent tolerance to shade. The stem is malleable and can be stretched into different shapes. In Asian countries, the tree is always symbolized prosperity and the planting of it is believed to bring in wealth and expel evil spirits, hence also named as ‘Lucky tree’. |
| How to classify Pachira glabra and Pachira aquatica? | Two trees are all beyond dispute two distinct species. However, they are always blended during identification. P. aquatica is commonly named as Malabar Chestnut. It is derived from the tropical forests in Meso and South America. Different from P. glabra, the wild Guinea peanut can attain a towering height to 20 m, with majestic trunk breadth and buttress roots. Its flowers are similar to P. glabra, but the filaments’ apex is dyed in glamorous red. Instead of glabrous, the fruits are covered with brownish hairs. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 10 m. |
| Stem | Bark smooth, green. Branches horizontally extend. |
| Leaves | Palmately compound alternate, leaflets 5-7, nearly sessile, pulvinus swelling at two proximal ends of petiole. Leaflet blade coriaceous, glabrous, oblong-obovate, apex acuminate, lateral veins elevated abaxially. |
| Flower | Hermaphroditic. Flowers solitary or 2-3 clustered, axillary. Petals green, linear, recurved. Stamens many, white. |
| Fruit | Capsules ovoid, large, glabrous, green to yellow green. |
| Flowering period | / |
| Fruiting period | / |
Scientific name above is based on Plant of the World Online website: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:562664-1#distributions
Scientific names from other databases:
― GBIF: Pachira glabra Pasq.