Cultivation and the interest in wild edible fruits such as black
velvet tamarind have grown due to their comprehensive protective
effects, especially their antioxidant activity (Adepoju, 2009). Black
velvet tamarind is a common name for several trees in the genus
Dialium, and may refer to the following: Dialium guineense; Dialium
indum, and Dialium cochinchinense. D. cochinchinense and D. indum
are native to southeast Asia, while D. guineense is found in Africa.
D. guineense is a tall (30 m), fruit-bearing tree. It belongs to the
Fabaceae family, and produces fruits that are enclosed in a brittle
shell. The seed is embedded in a dry brownish sweet slightly sour
edible pulp