Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Mari-mari fruit


This past Sunday we went to Mararu to say hello to our old friends, Didi and Luzia Macedo. Dona Luzia (she just turned 80) had taken off to Belém to visit her daughter and do some medical exams, but we found Didi and his son at home. We've been visiting them at their home in Mararu for nearly three decades, and I must say, I never get tired of rambling around their small piece of land looking at their plants and trees. What got my attention on Sunday was a mari-mari tree (Cassia leiandra) and the fruit, of course. Top image, old fruit on the ground. They reminded me of snakes. Had my venture out in the back yard been at night, I might have jumped backwards seeing them. Bottom image of the fruit still up in the tree. I remember a time when there were lots of kids and grandkids around their place. Rest assured there wouldn't have been one fruit left on the tree at that time.

3 comments:

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Does this tree have yellow flowers Steven? It looks like what we call a Sjambok Pod - Cassia abbrevieta.

Steven Winn Alexander said...

Yes, the flowers are yellow. Our variety is Cassia leiandra. Must be a cousin to yours.

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Thanks Steven....yes, must be. They are beautiful when in bloom and the baboons love to eat the pods and flowers. :)