ABSTRACT
Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze [1], commonly known as tara, is a leguminous shrub [2] native of Peru. It is cultivated as a source of tannins and is cultivated as an ornamental plant because of its colorful lowers and inlorescences. C. spinosa is in the family Fabaceae. It is distributed in the northern and central of South America. Some scientiic synonyms are Caesalpinia tinctoria, Poinciana spinosa, Caesalpinia pectinata, Coulteria tinctoria, Tara tinctoria, and Caesalpinia stipulata. It is also known by various common names such as taya, tara, guarango, cuica, vinilo, vainillo, acacia amarilla, and divi divi. It contains polysaccharide derivatives of mannose (neutral mucilage). C. spinosa produces a galactomannan
(Tara gum) soluble with an intermediate galactose-mannose ratio of locust bean gum and guar gum. It is obtained by crushing the seed endosperm.
