Terminalia catappa, Sea almond
Cartagena, Colombia
January 2020
When I was a boy in Puerto Rico we would sometimes eat the “almonds” from these trees. Usually friends and I would have extended battles throwing the pods at each other. Green ones, like those depicted here were strictly off limits. Ripe ones, which are yellowish and covered in a softer pulp were still hard and it was considered bad form to use. Dry ones, which are brown and consist of a husk surrounding the nut were very light for their size and their trajectory when thrown took skill to master - they were the weapon of choice.
