馬拉巴栗（學名：Pachira aquatica，英语：Malabar chestnut），又名發財樹、美國花生、瓜栗，這個屬的名稱改自圭亚那語，意思是「在水中」。其中文名稱經常被人誤寫為馬拉巴「粟」。
為常綠或半落葉喬木，熱帶觀葉植物。種子煮熟後可食用，其味如花生。樹幹可製成紙及漿糊。
馬拉巴栗雖然又叫美國花生，但它原產於墨西哥，是常綠喬木。葉片為具有五至七枚小葉的掌狀複葉，長橢圓形或倒卵形，頂端短尖，基部楔形，中肋兩面隆起，脈上著生稀疏鏽色星狀毛。花具短柄，著生於枝頂之葉腋間，花瓣五枚，線狀披針形，多為綠白或黃白色；花絲多數，白色。蒴果長橢圓形。初夏開花，約4月下旬至6月中旬左右；而果實則要等到翌年春、夏之際才會成熟。馬拉巴栗又叫「大果木棉」，因為它是木棉科的植物，果實也頗大。
馬拉巴栗（學名：Pachira aquatica，英语：Malabar chestnut），又名發財樹、美國花生、瓜栗，這個屬的名稱改自圭亚那語，意思是「在水中」。其中文名稱經常被人誤寫為馬拉巴「粟」。
馬拉巴栗原産於中美洲及南美洲。屬於木棉科馬拉巴栗屬。為常綠或半落葉喬木，熱帶觀葉植物。種子煮熟後可食用，其味如花生。樹幹可製成紙及漿糊。
馬拉巴栗在東南亞的角色
在日本，馬拉巴栗作為觀賞植物般培植已有很長歷史，但未受普及。在1986年，恰逢韋恩颱風來襲，台灣的貨櫃車司機王清富無法出車，待在家中幫從事美髮工作的太太陳美華編辮子。一時突發奇想，隨手把五棵馬拉巴栗種在同一盆子，並把它們的枝幹屈曲成辮子狀，改名為「發財樹」出售。這種紮枝的方法傳至日本，隨即受到熱烈的歡迎，此後成為東南亞最普遍的觀賞植物之一。在中國這種植物象徵著財運，故很多經營商店的店主都在店內種植一棵，有時候更在樹枝上綁上紅絲帶等不同的妝飾。馬拉巴栗在台灣有很重要的經濟地位，在2005年的出口收入達2億5千萬新台幣。
Pachira aquatica is a tropical wetland tree of the genus Pachira. It is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously it was assigned to Bombacaceae.
Characteristics
Pachira aquatica can grow up to 18 m (59.1 ft) in height in the wild. It has shiny green palmate leaves with lanceolate leaflets and smooth green bark. Its showy flowers have long, narrow petals that open like a banana peel to reveal hairlike yellowish orange stamens. The tree is cultivated for its edible nuts which grow in a very large, woody pod. The nuts are light brown, striped with white. They are said to taste like peanuts, and can be eaten raw or cooked or ground into a flour to make bread. The leaves and flowers are also edible.
The tree grows well as a tropical ornamental in moist, frost-free areas, and can be started from seed or cutting. It is a durable plant and will adapt very well to different conditions. The pachira needs plenty of sunlight though it is important to avoid direct sunlight during the summer months as the leaves may get sunburned.
Role in East Asian culture
In East Asia, Pachira aquatica (Chinese: 馬拉巴栗; pinyin: Mǎlābā lì; literally "Malabar chestnut") is often referred to as the "money tree" (發財樹 fācái shù). The tree had long been popular as an ornamental in Japan. In 1986, a Taiwanese truck driver first cultivated five small trees in a single flowerpot with their trunks braided. The popularity of these ornamentals took off in Japan and later much of the rest of East Asia. They are symbolically associated with good financial fortune and are typically seen in businesses, sometimes with red ribbons or other auspicious ornamentation attached.
The trees play an important role in Taiwan's agricultural export economy with exports of NT$250 million (US$7 million) in 2005.
Name
The genus name is derived from a language spoken in Guyana. The species name is Latin for "aquatic".
Pachira aquatica in fruit.The name "money tree" seems to refer to a story of its origin, where a poor man prayed for money, found this "odd" plant, took it home as an omen, and made money selling plants grown from its seeds.
