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

Kermath, Bennett and Pulsipher - Food Plants in the Americs
ENGLISH: paripi, peach palm, peachnut, pewa, pewa nut, poupounha,
spiny-club palm, tembe
PORTUGUESE: babunha, casipaes, ceriba, palmeira-chonta, pejibaye,
pirajá-pupunha, pirijão, popunha, pupunha, pupunha-marajá, pupunhaverde-amarela
SPANISH: bobi, cachipay, chenga, chichaguai, chichagui, chima, chonta,
chonta de castilla, chonta de comer, chonta pala, chonta ruru,
chontadura, chontaduro, chontaduro colombiano, chontaruro,
contaruro, gachipaes, gea, huanima, ico, jijirre, macanilla,
macasnilla, mantiene-moza, masato, melocotón, nalu, palma de
durazno, palma melocotonera, palma real, pechevaye, pegibay,
pejibay, pejibaya, pejibaye, pejijuayo, pejivalle, pichiguao,
pifayo, pifuayo, pihiguao, pihuayo, pijiguao, pijuanyo, pijuayo,
pipire, piriguao, pisba, pisbae, piva, pixabay, pixbá, pixbae,
posho-guayo, puca pijuaio, pisho-guayo, sara-pifuayo, sara pijuaio,
tembé, tempé, tenga, uvito, uwí, woy
USES/NOTES: Starchy mesocarp, rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamin
A, and fat, of the variably colored (orange/red/yellow) fruit is
eaten boiled, sometimes mashed or added to other cooked foods, and
is an important food source in parts of the Neotropics. Fruit also
contains an edible oil and juice that is made into an alcoholic
drink (chicha in Spanish-speaking countries, caxixi in Brazil).
Calcium-rich heart (or palmito) is of good quality and has become
an item of international commerce. Plants with cespitose forms, as
opposed to those with solitary stems, are preferred as their hearts
can be harvested without killing the plant. Young shoots are eaten
locally like palm hearts. Some indigenous groups add boiled
inflorescences with herbs to sauces. Cultivated widely in Central
America and tropical South America, the domesticated peach palm is
thought to have potential for expansion.
NATURAL RANGE: probably the Andean foothills of southwestern Amazonia
in Bolivia and Peru, possibly Amazonian Bolivia to Panama, or
western Ecuador perhaps to Costa Rica and Nicaragua
REFERENCES: Anderson 1977, Balick 1984, Balick 1988, Boom 1987, Bourke
et al. 1987, Camacho 1969, Cárdenas 1969, Cavalcante 1991, Clement
1988, Clement 1989, Clement 1992, Clement and Mora Urpí 1987, Duke
1986, Ferreira 1999, Ferreira et al. 1993, Ferreira et al. 1980,
Guia Rural n.d., Henderson et al. 1995, Hunter 1969, IBGE 1980,
Johannessen 1967, Kermath (notes), Metzler et al. 1992, Morton
1987a, OAS 1973, Pedersen and Balslev 1990, Prance 1984, Rehm and
Espig 1991, Schultes 1977b, Seibert 1950a, Silva et al. 1977, Smith
et al. 1992, Soria 1991, Vásquez and Gentry 1989
Bactris guineensis (L.) H.E. Moore [syn. B. minor Jacq.]
FAMILY: Arecaceae or Palmae (palm)
ENGLISH: black palm, spiny-club palm
SPANISH: biscoyol, cana brava, corozo, coyolito, lata, lata de playón,
lata hembra, piritu, uvero de lata, uvita, uvita de monte
USES/NOTES: Fruit pulp is eaten or mashed for its juice.
DRAFT - DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE
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