Ormosia amazonica

Native from Costa Rica through tropical South America to Venezuela and Bolivia, this tree grows in humid tropical habitats and reaches about 65 feet tall. Its compound leaves usually have seven to eleven leathery leaflets, with fine hairs beneath. Clusters of purple flowers are followed by dark brown pods that split open when ripe. Each pod holds one to three red seeds with a black patch. In the Peruvian Amazon, these colourful seeds are used to make necklaces, bracelets and other handicrafts. Photographed in Ecuador.