? Carob Tree
carob pods carob leaflets
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae Genus: Ceratonia Species: C. siliqua
Binomial name
Ceratonia siliqua Linnaeus

The Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean region, cultivated for its edible seed pods. Also known as St John's Bread, the flesh of the pods tastes somewhat similar to sweetened cocoa, but contains no caffeine or other psychoactive substances and is often used as a hypoallergenic, drug-free substitute. Mixed with saturated fats like butter fat or palm oil, it is often used to make a sweet confection, considered chocolate-like by some, that is usually referred to simply as "carob." Carob soothes the digestive tract and helps with diarrhoea. The main ingredients of carob are large carbohydrates. These make carob gummy so it acts as a thickener to absorb water and bind loose stools. Image File history File links Photography by: Osvaldo Gago File links The following pages link to this file: Carob tree ... Image File history File links Photography by: Osvaldo Gago File links The following pages link to this file: Carob tree ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Divisions Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants Adiantum pedatum (a fern... Classes Magnoliopsida- Dicots Liliopsida- Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are a major group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families Fabaceae (legumes) Quillajaceae Polygalaceae (milkwort family) Surianaceae The Fabales are an order of flowering plants, included in the rosid group of dicotyledons. ... Subfamilies Faboideae Caesalpinioideae Mimosoideae References GRIN-CA 2002-09-01 The name Fabaceae belongs to either of two families, depending on viewpoint. ... Tribes Cassieae Caesalpinieae Cercideae Detarieae Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. ... Ceratonia is the name of a genus of trees. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A ripe red jalapeno cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made. ... Flash point N/A RTECS number EV6475000 Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Caffeine (sometimes called mateine when found in mate, and theine when found in tea) is a xanthine alkaloid found in the... A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical that alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness, or behaviour. ... Look up hypoallergenic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A saturated fat is a fat or fatty acid in which there are no double bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. ... Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. ... Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the Oil palm tree. ... Chocolate most commonly comes in dark, milk, and white varieties, with cocoa solids contributing to the brown coloration. ... Diarrhoea is the correct way to spell the word Diarrhoea. ...

This tree grows up to 10 m high. The crown is broad and semi-spherical, supported by a thick trunk, brown rough bark and sturdy branches. Leaves are 10–20 cm long, alternate, pinnate, and may or may not have a terminal leaflet. The flowers are a green-tinted red, small, numerous, and about 6–12 mm long. They are spirally arranged along the inflorescence axis in catkin-like racemes borne on spurs from old wood and even on the trunk (cauliflory). The fruit is a pod which can be elongated, compressed, straight or curved, and thickened at the sutures. Carob is a member of the legume family, and as such its roots host bacteria which convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates which can be used by plants to make proteins. Clivia miniata bears bright orange flowers. ... A male catkin on a willow Male catkins on a Common Hazel in January before opening Catkins, or aments, are slim, cylindrical flower clusters, wind-pollinated and without petals, that can be found in many plant families, including Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Salicaceae. ... This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata is a typical raceme. ... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Catalonia. ... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume Pea pods The term legume has two closely related meanings in botany, a situation encountered with many botanical common names of useful plants, whereby an applied name can refer to either the plant itself, or to the edible fruit (or useful part). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... Nitrates are the salts of nitric acid. ...

These trees cannot withstand waterlogging, although the root system is usually deep. It grows well in warm temperate and subtropical areas and tolerates hot and humid coastal areas. It is a xerophytic (drought-resistant) species, well adapted to the ecological conditions of the Mediterranean region. It is also one of the few trees present in the altiplanic desert of South America, where it is known as algarrobo. The Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on earth outside of Tibet. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Carob is not a staple food in the Mediterranean, but provides good sustenance during times when other crops are scarce and is a traditional feed for livestock. It is most commonly put in cakes, icing, and sometimes cookies. The seeds themselves, also known as locust bean, are used as animal feed and to extract locust bean gum, a thickening agent. A staple food is a basic but nutritious food that forms the basis of a traditional diet, particularly that of the poor. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Locust bean gum (European Union additive number E410) is a galactomannan vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the Carob tree. ...

Carob pods were the most important source of sugar before sugarcane and sugar beets became widely available. Nowadays, the seeds are processed for the use in cosmetics, curing tobacco, and making paper. The scientific name of the carob tree derives from the Greek keras, "horn", and Latin siliqua, alluding to the hardness and shape of the pod. Magnified view of refined sugar crystals. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of between 6 and 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical... Two sugar beets - the one on the left has been cultivated to be smoother than the traditional beet, so that it traps less soil. ... Closeup of a womans eye while wearing makeup Cosmetics or makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. ... Species N. glauca N. longiflora N. rustica N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of August 26, 2005 Tobacco (, L.) refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the dried and cured leaves of such plants. ... Piece of paper Paper is a thin, flat material produced by the compression of fibers (or fibres). ... It has been suggested that History of the Latin language be merged into this article or section. ...

The term "carat," or the units by which diamond weight is measured, is derived from the ancient practice of weighing diamonds against the seeds of the carob tree. The sytem was eventually standardized and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.

Dried carob fruit is traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat. A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Tu Bishvat (or Tu BiShevat) (טו בשבט) is a minor Jewish holiday (meaning there are no restrictions on working) and one of the four Rosh Hashanahs (New Years) mentioned in the Mishnah, the basis of the Talmud. ...

See also

• List of fruits

Here are lists of all the fruits considered edible in some cuisine. ...

References and external links

• Fruits of Warm Climates: Carob
• Carob entry at Encyclopedia.com
• Carob recipes at cooks.com
• Yogi Tea Herb Glossary