Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze, commonly known as
tara (
Quechua), is a small leguminous tree or thorny shrub native to
Peru.
C. spinosa is cultivated as a source of
tannins based on a
galloylated quinic acid structure. This chemical structure has been confirmed also by
LC-MS. It is also grown as an ornamental plant because of its large colorful flowers and pods.