Lemuropisum edule

Unarmed, multistemmed, much branched, spreading shrub up to 4–6 m tall, crown dense, branchlets sometimes spine-like. Leaves sparse, semi-persistent, paripinnate, with 1-4 pairs of oval to suborbicular leaflets, 3.5–6 mm wide. Inflorescence a raceme; flowers bisexual, with 4 white petals and 1 tinged yellow. Fruit pendent, subcylindric, depressed between the seeds, 20–30 cm long, 2 cm wide, 2-valved, valves membraneous, dehiscent; seeds 6-12, ovoid-reniform, 2.5 cm long, 1.6 cm across, testa thin and brittle.[3]

Not cultivated in Madagascar. In Australia, after soaking the seeds for 10 hours, germination is rapid. Alkaline soils preferred. Nuts (seeds) are harvested from the ground following dehiscence. Nuts eaten raw, discarding the brittle testa, the cotyledons agreeably sweet with a cashew-like flavour, smooth consistency and a flexible, rather plastic texture. Apparently not used in cooking; when eaten green the flavour reminiscent of fresh garden peas.

The nuts contain 38-43% available carbohydrates, 26-32% unavailable carbohydrates, 14-16% protein and 6-9% fat, comparing favourably with those of Cordeauxia edulis. However, the ingestion of 100 g kernels, ca. 84 raw seeds, may inhibit human production of chymotrypsin and cause digestive upsets, although this could possibly be reduced by cooking or roasting the seeds.[4]