283 Species in Genus Inga

My Fascination with the Inga Genus

I’m Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been drawn to the natural world. From the towering redwoods of California to the delicate orchids of Vietnam, the diversity of plant life never ceases to amaze me. Lately, though, I’ve become particularly interested in a genus of tropical trees known as Inga. These fascinating plants, with their unique foliage and vibrant flowers, play a vital role in their ecosystems, and they hold a special appeal for me.

What Makes Inga Unique?

Inga is a large genus belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. They are predominantly found in the tropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico down to Argentina. What sets them apart are their distinctive leaves and flowers. The leaves are pinnate, meaning they consist of multiple leaflets arranged on either side of a central stem. Often, these leaves have winged stems or nectar glands between the leaflets, adding to their visual interest.

The flowers of Inga species are equally captivating. They typically appear in dense clusters and boast numerous long, white or cream-colored stamens, giving them a fluffy, almost firework-like appearance. These showy flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and even bats.

But Inga trees offer more than just aesthetic appeal. They are also nitrogen-fixing plants. This means they have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in the soil that allows them to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form. This process enriches the soil, benefiting not only the Inga trees themselves but also other plants growing nearby. This makes them crucial components of their ecosystems and potentially valuable allies in sustainable agriculture.

A Diverse Genus

The genus Inga is remarkably diverse, with an estimated 283 species. This incredible variety is a testament to the adaptability of these trees and their ability to thrive in a range of habitats, from rainforests to savannas. Here are just a few examples of the many fascinating species:

1. Inga acicularis T.D.Penn.
2. Inga acreana Harms
3. Inga acrocephala Steud.
4. Inga acuminata Benth.
5. Inga adenophylla Pittier
6. Inga affinis DC.
7. Inga alata Benoist
8. Inga alba (Sw.) Willd.
9. Inga aliena J.F.Macbr.
10. Inga allenii J.León
11. Inga amboroensis T.D.Penn.
12. Inga andersonii McVaugh
13. Inga appendiculata M.Sousa
14. Inga approximata T.D.Penn.
15. Inga aptera (Vinha) T.D.Penn.
16. Inga arenicola T.D.Penn.
17. Inga augusti Harms
18. Inga auristellae Harms
19. Inga balsapambensis T.D.Penn.
20. Inga barbata Benth.
21. Inga barbourii Standl.
22. Inga belizensis Standl.
23. Inga bella M.Sousa
24. Inga bicoloriflora Ducke
25. Inga bifoliolata D.B.O.S.Cardoso & Amorim
26. Inga bijuga Schery
27. Inga blanchetiana Benth.
28. Inga bollandii Sprague & Sandwith
29. Inga bourgoni (Aubl.) DC.
30. Inga brachyrhachis Harms
31. Inga brachystachys Ducke
32. Inga bracteifera N.Zamora & T.D.Penn.
33. Inga brevipes Benth.
34. Inga bullata Benth.
35. Inga bullatorugosa Ducke
36. Inga cabelo T.D.Penn.
37. Inga cabrerae M.Sousa
38. Inga calantha Ducke
39. Inga calanthoides Amshoff
40. Inga calcicola M.Sousa
41. Inga calderonii Standl.
42. Inga canonegrensis N.Zamora & T.D.Penn.
43. Inga capitata Desv.
44. Inga cardozana L.Cárdenas
45. Inga carinata T.D.Penn.
46. Inga caudata Killip
47. Inga cayennensis Sagot ex Benth.
48. Inga cecropietorum Ducke
49. Inga chartacea Poepp.
50. Inga chiapensis Miranda ex M.Sousa
51. Inga chocoensis Killip ex T.S.Elias
52. Inga chrysantha Ducke
53. Inga ciatiformis J.M.Fern. & F.C.P.Garcia
54. Inga ciliata C.Presl
55. Inga cinnamomea Spruce ex Benth.
56. Inga cocleensis Pittier
57. Inga coleyana M.J.Endara & J.E.Guevara
58. Inga colimana Padilla, Cuevas & Solís
59. Inga colombiana C.Romero
60. Inga conchifolia L.P.Queiroz
61. Inga congesta T.D.Penn.
62. Inga cookii Pittier
63. Inga coragypsea L.Uribe
64. Inga cordatoalata Ducke
65. Inga cordistipula Mart.
66. Inga coruscans Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
67. Inga crassiflora Ducke
68. Inga cuspidata M.Sousa
69. Inga cylindrica (Vell.) Mart.
70. Inga cynometrifolia Harms
71. Inga dasycarpa M.Sousa
72. Inga davidsei M.Sousa
73. Inga densiflora Benth.
74. Inga disticha Benth.
75. Inga dominicensis Benth.
76. Inga duckei Huber
77. Inga dwyeri M.Sousa
78. Inga edulis Mart.
79. Inga edwallii (Harms) T.D.Penn.
80. Inga enterolobioides T.D.Penn.
81. Inga exalata T.S.Elias
82. Inga exfoliata T.D.Penn. & F.C.P.García
83. Inga exilis T.D.Penn.
84. Inga expansa Rusby
85. Inga extra-nodis T.D.Penn.
86. Inga fanchoniana Poncy
87. Inga fastuosa (Jacq.) Willd.
88. Inga fendleriana Benth.
89. Inga feuillei DC. Plant FAQs: Ice Cream Bean – Inga Feuillei
90. Inga filiformis N.Zamora
91. Inga flagelliformis (Vell.) Mart.
92. Inga flexuosa Schltdl.
93. Inga fosteriana T.D.Penn.
94. Inga gereauana (Pipoly & R.Vásquez) T.D.Penn.
95. Inga globularis T.D.Penn.
96. Inga glomeriflora Ducke
97. Inga goldmanii Pittier
98. Inga golfodulcensis N.Zamora
99. Inga goniocalyx Britton & Killip
100. Inga graciliflora Benth.
101. Inga gracilifolia Ducke
102. Inga gracilior Sprague
103. Inga grandis T.D.Penn.
104. Inga grazielae (Vinha) T.D.Penn.
105. Inga hayesii Benth.
106. Inga herrerae N.Zamora
107. Inga heterophylla Willd.
108. Inga hispida Schott ex Benth.
109. Inga huastecana M.Sousa
110. Inga huberi Ducke
111. Inga ilta T.D.Penn.
112. Inga inflata Ducke
113. Inga ingoides (Rich.) Willd.
114. Inga inicuil Schltdl. & Cham. ex G.Don
115. Inga insignis Kunth
116. Inga interfluminensis L.Uribe
117. Inga interrupta L.Cárdenas & De Martino
118. Inga inundata Ducke
119. Inga involucrata R.S.Cowan
120. Inga ismaelis M.Sousa
121. Inga japurensis T.D.Penn.
122. Inga jaunechensis A.H.Gentry
123. Inga jefensis Liesner & D’Arcy
124. Inga jenmanii Sandwith
125. Inga jimenezii N.Zamora
126. Inga killipiana J.F.Macbr.
127. Inga kursarii M.J.Endara & J.E.Guevara
128. Inga lactifera M.Sousa
129. Inga lacustris M.Sousa
130. Inga laevigata M.Martens & Galeotti
131. Inga lallensis Spruce ex Benth.
132. Inga lanceifolia Benth.
133. Inga lateriflora Miq.
134. Inga latipes Pittier
135. Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd.
136. Inga lenticellata Benth.
137. Inga lentiscifolia Benth.
138. Inga leonis N.Zamora
139. Inga leptantha Benth.
140. Inga leptingoides Amshoff
141. Inga leptocarpa T.D.Penn.
142. Inga lineata Benth.
143. Inga litoralis N.Zamora
144. Inga lomatophylla (Benth.) Pittier
145. Inga longiflora Spruce ex Benth.
146. Inga longifoliola R.S.Cowan.
147. Inga longipedunculata Ducke
148. Inga longipes Benth.
149. Inga longispica Standl.
150. Inga lopadadenia Harms
151. Inga loubryana Poncy
152. Inga macarenensis Philipson
153. Inga macrantha J.R.Johnst.
154. Inga macrophylla Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
155. Inga manabiensis T.D.Penn.
156. Inga marginata Willd.
157. Inga maritima Benth.
158. Inga martinicensis C.Presl
159. Inga maynensis Benth.
160. Inga megalobotrys T.D.Penn.
161. Inga megaphylla Poncy & Vester
162. Inga meissneriana Miq.
163. Inga melinonis Sagot
164. Inga mendoncaei Harms
165. Inga mexicana (T.D.Penn.) M.Sousa
166. Inga micradenia Spruce ex Benth.
167. Inga microcalyx Spruce ex Benth.
168. Inga microcoma Harms
169. Inga micronectarium J.M.Fern., Soares-Lopes & D.R.Silva
170. Inga mitaraka Poncy
171. Inga mortoniana J.León
172. Inga mucuna Walp.
173. Inga multicaulis Spruce ex Benth.
174. Inga multijuga Benth.
175. Inga multinervis T.D.Penn.
176. Inga neblinensis L.Cárdenas & De Martino
177. Inga nobilis Willd.
178. Inga nouragensis Poncy
179. Inga nubium Poncy
180. Inga obidensis Ducke
181. Inga obtusata Spruce ex Benth.
182. Inga oerstediana Benth.
183. Inga ornata Kunth
184. Inga pachyphylla Harms
185. Inga pallida Rusby
186. Inga panurensis Spruce ex Benth.
187. Inga paraensis Ducke
188. Inga paterno Harms
189. Inga pauciflora Walp. & Duchass.
190. Inga peduncularis Benth.
191. Inga pedunculata (Vinha) T.D.Penn.
192. Inga pellicula T.D.Penn.
193. Inga pezizifera Benth.
194. Inga pilosula (Rich.) J.F.Macbr.
195. Inga pinetorum Pittier
196. Inga pitmanii K.G.Dexter & T.D.Penn.
197. Inga platyptera Benth.
198. Inga pleiogyna T.D.Penn.
199. Inga plumifera Spruce ex Benth.
200. Inga pluricarpellata T.D.Penn.
201. Inga poeppigiana Benth.
202. Inga polita Killip
203. Inga polyantha Ducke
204. Inga porcata T.D.Penn.
205. Inga portobellensis Beurl.
206. Inga praegnans T.D.Penn.
207. Inga pruriens Poepp.
208. Inga pseudoinvolucrata M.Sousa
209. Inga psittacorum L.Uribe
210. Inga punctata Willd.
211. Inga retinocarpa Poncy
212. Inga rhynchocalyx Sandwith
213. Inga rubiginosa (Rich.) DC.
214. Inga ruiziana G.Don
215. Inga rusbyi Pittier
216. Inga saffordiana Pittier
217. Inga salicifolia T.D.Penn.
218. Inga saltensis Burkart
219. Inga samanensis L.Uribe
220. Inga santaremnensis Ducke
221. Inga sapindoides Willd.
222. Inga sarayacuensis T.D.Penn.
223. Inga sarmentosa Glaz. ex Harms
224. Inga sastreana Acev.-Rodr., S.Carrington & T.D.Penn.
225. Inga sellowiana Benth.
226. Inga sertulifera DC.
227. Inga sessilis Mart.
228. Inga setosa G.Don
229. Inga sierrae Britton & Killip
230. Inga silanchensis T.D.Penn.
231. Inga sinacae M.Sousa & Ibarra-Manr.
232. Inga skutchii Standl.
233. Inga spectabilis (Vahl) Willd.
234. Inga spiralis Liesner & D’Arcy
235. Inga splendens Willd.
236. Inga steinbachii Harms
237. Inga stenocalyx Spruce ex Benth.
238. Inga stenophylla Standl.
239. Inga stenopoda Pittier
240. Inga stenoptera Benth.
241. Inga stipulacea G.Don
242. Inga stipularis DC.
243. Inga striata Benth.
244. Inga striolata T.D.Penn.
245. Inga suaveolens Ducke
246. Inga suberosa T.D.Penn.
247. Inga subnuda Salzm. ex Benth.
248. Inga suborbicularis T.D.Penn.
249. Inga tarapotensis Spruce ex Benth.
250. Inga tayronaensis T.D.Penn.
251. Inga tenuicalyx T.D.Penn.
252. Inga tenuiloba N.Zamora & T.D.Penn.
253. Inga tenuis (Vell.) Mart.
254. Inga tenuistipula Ducke
255. Inga teresensis F.C.P.Garcia & A.P.Chagas
256. Inga tessmannii Harms
257. Inga thibaudiana DC.
258. Inga tocacheana D.R.Simpson
259. Inga tomentosa Benth.
260. Inga tonduzii Donn.Sm.
261. Inga tripa F.C.P.Garcia & A.P.Chagas
262. Inga ulei Harms
263. Inga umbellifera (Vahl) Steud.
264. Inga umbilicata (N.Zamora & T.D.Penn.) N.Zamora
265. Inga umbratica Poepp.
266. Inga unica Barneby & J.W.Grimes
267. Inga uraguensis Hook. & Arn.
268. Inga urceolata N.Zamora
269. Inga ursi Pittier
270. Inga velutina Willd.
271. Inga venusta Standl.
272. Inga vera Willd.
273. Inga vestita Benth.
274. Inga villosissima Benth.
275. Inga virescens Benth.
276. Inga virgultosa Desv.
277. Inga vismiifolia Poepp.
278. Inga vulpina Mart. ex Benth.
279. Inga xalapensis Benth.
280. Inga xinguensis Ducke
281. Inga yacoana J.F.Macbr.
282. Inga yasuniana T.D.Penn.
283. Inga yungasensis C.Aparicio & A.Fuentes

Why I’m Drawn to Inga

My interest in Inga stems from a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature. These trees exemplify the intricate relationships that exist within ecosystems. They provide food and shelter for wildlife, enrich the soil, and contribute to the overall health of their environment.

Furthermore, I’m intrigued by the potential of Inga to contribute to sustainable agriculture and forestry practices. Their nitrogen-fixing abilities can help improve soil fertility and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. They can also be incorporated into agroforestry systems, providing shade for crops and reducing soil erosion.

In a world facing increasing environmental challenges, I believe that understanding and utilizing plants like Inga is more important than ever. They offer valuable lessons in sustainability and resilience, and they hold the potential to help us create a more harmonious relationship with the natural world.

Exploring the World of Inga

I’m eager to continue learning more about the Inga genus. I plan to delve deeper into the scientific literature, connect with researchers and botanists working with these plants, and perhaps even have the opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat.

The world of Inga is vast and full of wonder. I invite you to join me in exploring the beauty, diversity, and ecological significance of these remarkable trees.