Euphorbiaceae FAMILY
Plukenetia volubilis
Plukenetia volubilis
Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Botanical Description
Plukenetia volubilis is a slender climbing shrub, scrambling over the ground and twining into other plants for support. The edible seeds and leaves are gathered from the wild for local use. This species has long been used by native people, but has only recently become better known and is now being cultivated for the high quality oil obtained from the seed.
Habitat & Origin
Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam; Caribbean - Windward Isles.
HabitatOccurs in disturbed areas or forest edges of lowland moist or wet forest, at elevations below 900 metres[ 674 Title A Contribution to the Guianan Flora: Dalechampia, Haematostemon, Omphalea, Pera, Plukenetia and Tragia (Euphorbiacea Publication Smithsonian Contributions to Botany No. 86 Author Gillespie L.J. & Armbruster W.S. Website http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/Botany/ Publisher Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington. Year 1997 ISBN 97-10535 Description Part of an excellent series of papers by the Smithsonian Institute, it can be downloaded from their website. ].