Abelmoschus esculentus (L - the University of Maine at Fort Kent

Kermath, Bennett and Pulsipher - Food Plants in the Americs
USES/NOTES: Fruits are eaten or made into fermented and unfermented
beverages.
NATURAL RANGE: Mexico to Costa Rica
REFERENCES: Bennett 2000
Bromelia nidus-puellae (André) André ex Mez
FAMILY: Bromeliaceae (pineapple)
SPANISH: croata, piñuela, piraju, piro
USES/NOTES: Fruits are eaten or made into fermented and unfermented
beverages. Also grown as a living fence and used medicinally.
NATURAL RANGE: Colombia, perhaps beyond
REFERENCES: Bennett 2000, Duke n.d.
Bromelia pinguin L. [syn. B. fastuosa Lindley, Agallostachys fastuosa
(Lindley) Beer, A. ignea Beer, A. pinguin (L.) Beer,
Karatas pinguin (L.) Miller]
FAMILY: Bromeliaceae (pineapple)
ENGLISH: bromelia, pinguin
PORTUGUESE: banana-do-mato, bromélia, caraguatá, caroá, caroatá,
coroá, coroatá, croá, curauá, gravatá, oa, pinguin, pita,
Caraguatá,
SPANISH: aguama, carata, chaguar, chaguarí, chibe-chibe, chibichibe,
chigüichigüe, chilemotate, curujujul, guamara, huipilla, karaguatá,
maya, motate, muta, oa, penca, piña de ratón, pinguin, piñuela,
piñuelo, piro
USES/NOTES: Pleasant tasting, though somewhat fibrous, variously
colored fruits (green, yellow, orange, red, or maroon) are eaten or
made into either fermented or unfermented beverages. Inflorescence
and flowers are eaten fried. A fiber, known in Brazil as caraguatá,
gravatá, or pita, is obtained from the leaves. With its sharply
spined leaves, the herbaceous, perennial, pineapple-like plant
forms dense colonies and makes an effective living fence.
NATURAL RANGE: Mexico, the West Indies, the Guianas, Venezuela,
Colombia, and Ecuador, perhaps into Peru, naturalized in some warm
regions (e.g., Florida)
REFERENCES: Bennett 2000, Duke 1986, Duke n.d., Editorial Panapo 1988,
Facciola 1990, Holst 1994, IBGE 1980, Kermath (notes), Leung 1961,
Luther 1989, Martin et al. 1987, MBG n.d., OAS 1973, Pérez-Arbeláez
1956, Silva and Tassara 1996, Smith and Downs 1979, Uphof 1968,
Usher 1974, Utley and Burt-Utley 1994, Will 1991
Bromelia plumieri (E. Morren) L.B. Sm. [syn. B. karatas L., Karatas
plumieri E. Morren]
FAMILY: Bromeliaceae (pineapple)
ENGLISH: bromelia, pinuela
SPANISH: chaguar, chaguarí, chigüichigüe, karaguatá, maya, maya de
puerco, muta, piñuela, ts’uxuum
USES/NOTES: Young inflorescence is eaten as a vegetable or made into
marmalade, ripe, slightly acid, pleasant-tasting fruits are made
into a beverage called atol de piñuela or atol de piña in Spanish,
DRAFT - DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE
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