Ateleia gummifera

Ateleia gummifera (DC) D. Dietr.

Common Names: Stinking Pea Root

Family: Fabaceae

Habit: Ateleia gummifera grows as a medium shrub to small tree up to 8 meters in height, usually smaller. The odd pinnately compound leaves are alternately arranged. There are 5-13 leaflets, each elliptic to ovate, up to 8 cm, obtuse to retuse leaflet apex, with an entire margin.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are arranged in axillary racemes. The calyx has 5 greenish, fused, sepals. The white corolla is reduced to a single white cup shaped petal forming the standard.  There are 10 subequal, exserted stamens.  The ovary is superior and forms a dry slightly inflated single seeded legume at maturity.

Habitat: Ateleia gummifera grows in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations – Forests/Shrublands (Coppice) and Pine Woodlands.

Distribution: Ateleia gummifera occurs throughout the Lucayan Archipelago, the Caribbean region, Mexico, and Central America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Ateleia gummifera is not known to be used medicinally in the Bahamas.