Andira inermis (W. Wright) Kunth ex DC.
Papilionaceae
Almendro de Montaña
Occasional subcanopy or canopy tree (20-25m) found widely distributed across a variety of lowland tropical forest habitats. The species is notable for its large racemes of purple flowers and for its dense, green crown that provides welcome shade during Costa Rica’s sunny dry season.
Description: Almendro de Montaña trunks (50cm) are mostly straight and rounded, though not quite cylindrical. The thick, distinctive bark is mottled with varying shades of reddish brown to light tan and it exfoliates in thick, irregular plates. Several stout branches support and give rise to a very thick, rounded, dark green crown.
Almendro leaves (35cm x 14cm) are compound, imparipinnate and alternate, each carrying around 15 broad leaflets (6cm x 2.5cm). Though green all year, the tree sheds its leaves briefly in the early dry season (November or December). New leaves emerge shortly thereafter, initially sporting a light, pastel orangish hue. The translucent and vibrant crowns that result stand out and are very eye-catching. About a month later (January to March) large terminal panicles of violet, pea-flower shaped blossoms emerge.
Each flower (1.5cm) has five unequal petals, a cup-shaped, fused green calyx, ten stamens, and a green central pistil. A large, superior petal, sporting a pale white spot topped by deep maroon at its center, forms a wide hood over the remaining, narrow, inferior petals. Fruits (5cm) develop as rounded, thick, solid drupes that are shed from the trees early in the rainy season (May to June). Each contains a very large, rounded seed covered by a thinner layer of fibrous material.
Similar Species: Unfortunately, Almendro’s imparipinnate, alternate leaf configuration is shared by many other arboreal species in Costa Rica. Nevertheless, the thickness and persistence of the dark green crown and the mottled colors of its trunk should aid in distinguishing this tree when it lacks the more-clearly identifying flowers and fruits.
Uses: Almendros are one of the few trees present in the dry tropical forest that remain green even during the extensive dry season. Thanks to their thick, dark-green, and rounded crowns, they are also handsome trees that provide much potential and shade-providing ornamental plants. The wood of this species is dark brown in color and quite hard. It is a prized material used extensively in housing construction. The bark of this species is known to be toxic and has been used in traditional medicine.
Natural History: Almendro flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects. The round fruits, covered by a fibrous husk, may be water dispersed, but they also contain a layer of white pulp that is reported to be eaten by bats, parrots, and ground-dwelling animals (Mundo Forestal). The new leaves, while still translucent and limp, are favored by foliage-eating Howler Monkeys. These animals will often return, year after year, to known trees in order to dine on this soft, new growth.
Distribution: In Costa Rica, Almendro is found on both coasts and in all rainfall regimes, up to about 1000m. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil, and is even present in tropical Africa (Tropicos, 2016).
Tree Tree2 Tree3 Trunk Trunk2 Trunk&Leaf Leaf Flower&Leaf Flower Flower2 Flower3 Fruit
Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope 
