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

Kermath, Bennett and Pulsipher - Food Plants in the Americs
SPANISH: allagua, antá (P. seemanni), cabeza de negra, cabeza de
negro, cade, chique de tagua, guagra changa (palm heart), homero,
humira, marfil vegetal (hard kernel), nuez de marfil (hard
kernel), palma de marfil, pelo ponto, pepe del tagua, pimbu-ku,
humiro, polo ponto, pullipunta, pullipuntu, sagu, tagua, yarina
(P. macrocarpa), yau-ku
USES/NOTES: Hard, white to cream-colored endosperm is the source of
Vegetable ivory, used to make buttons for clothing and objects
such as chessmen and furniture knobs. Before ripening the liquid
endosperm makes a thirst-quenching beverage; when the endosperm
becomes more firm and jelly-like, it is appreciated as a snack.
Orange, fleshy mesocarp, of P. aequatorialis, P. seemanni, and P.
tumacana, is highly esteemed as a food item, typically eaten
cooked. Fruits also are an edible oil source and hearts are eaten
in parts of Ecuador. The vegetable ivory industry suffered with
the development of plastic buttons, but attempts to revitalize it
as a sustainable industry are under way. P. aequatorialis is the
principal source of vegetable ivory and Ecuador is the leading
producer.
NATURAL RANGE: P. aequatorialis from coastal Ecuador, P. macrocarpa
from western Amazonia (Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru), P. seemanni
from northwestern Colombia and Panama, P. tumacana from southern
coastal Colombia
REFERENCES: Barfod 1991, Barfod et al. 1990, Bernal 1992, Bourke et
al. 1987, Davis and Yost 1983, Duke 1986, Duke and Vásquez 1994,
Henderson et al. 1995, Koziol and Pedersen 1993, León 1987, OAS
1973, Pedersen 1991, Pedersen and Balslev 1992, Plotkin 1993,
Runk 1998, Silva et al. 1977, Soukup 1970, Uhl and Dransfield
1987
Phytolacca americana L.
FAMILY: Phytolaccaceae (pokeweed)
ENGLISH: garget, inkberry, pigeon berry, pocan, poke, poke salad,
pokeberry, pokeweed, scoke, Virginia poke
SPANSIH: hierba carmín
USES/NOTES: Young shoots are eaten cooked. Seeds and roots are
poisonous.
NATURAL RANGE: Eastern U.S. to Mexico
REFERENCES: Angier 1972, Bailey Hortorium 1976, Bourke et al. 1987,
Gibbons 1962, Morton 1977, Tomikel 1986, Yanovsky 1936
Phytolacca dioica L.
FAMILY: Phytolaccaceae (pokeweed)
PORTUGUESE: umbu
SPANISH: bella sombra
USES/NOTES: Fruits, young leaves, and shoots are edible.
NATURAL RANGE: Argentina
REFERENCES: Tanaka 1976, Zuloaga 1997
DRAFT - DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE
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