Spanish Tamarind is a rofusely branched shrub or
small tree, 2-15 m tall, with smooth grey bark and a whitish or cream
slash. Leaves are opposite, elliptic-ovate or rotundate, dark green
above, paler beneath, glabrous or, rarely, slightly pubescent, with
acuminate or, rarely, obtuse or acute apex and prominent venation
below, 7-20 x 2-11 cm. Leaf
stalks 5-10 mm long. Flowers are greenish-yellow, yellow or cream,
fulvous-pubescent, borne in dense axillary cymes, sweet scented. Fruits
are edible, spherical, very smooth and shiny, 3-4.5 x 2.5-4.2 cm,
greenish when immature, changing to yellowish-brown when ripe, contain
4-5 woody seeds up to 1.6 cm long. The generic name Vangueria is
derived from a Malagasy word. Spanish Tamarind is native to Madagascar.