Astronium graveolens (Diomate)

Native from Mexico through Central America to tropical South America, this deciduous tree grows in dry to moist forests. Its compound leaves have several pairs of leaflets, and the tree briefly loses its foliage before flowering. Small yellowish-green flowers develop in branched clusters, with new leaves appearing around the flowering period late in the dry season. Five persistent sepals enlarge into wing-like structures around the developing fruit. Its strong timber is used in construction and woodworking. Photographed in Colombia.