The distribution, and the morphological and genetic variation of the cultivated taxa of the genus Leucaena (especiallyL. esculenta, guaje rojo and guaje Colorado, andL. leucocephala, guaje verde and guaje bianco, are discussed in terms of their long history as arboreal food resources. In order to understand the domestication process it is essential to understand the changes in management, diffusion and importance of this natural resource throughout the prehistoric, prehispanic, colonial, modern and contemporary periods of Mexican history. In this article the principal documents of the contact period (Florentine Codex, writings of Francisco Hernández and sixteenth century Relaciones Geográficas) are analyzed to examine the effect of culture change on the domestication process. The persistence of Prehispanic uses and management of Leucaena as a source of food is documented. Today’s patterns appear to be both a product of neglect of the plant by the conquerors, and the cultural resilience of the native people.
