Tamarind Tree (Tamarindus indica)

The sausage shaped fruits of the tamarind were traded widely in ancient times.  Records from the Eastern Mediterranean provide evidence of its cultivation since the 4th Century B.C.  Arab sea-traders believe that it resembled the date palm so they combined their name for the date palm 'tamr' with 'hindi', this created the plants common name tamrhindi, upon which it's scientific name is based.