Abuta obovata
Diels
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Guillaume Léotard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Guillaume Léotard
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Guillaume Léotard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
Edible Uses
The fruit mesocarp is edible.
Medicinal Uses
The plant, part not specified, is used for treating back pain.
Known Hazards
Various plant parts of many, if not all, members of this genus are toxic.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. In Venezuela it is recorded between 1,065-1,220 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela,
Cultivation
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Notes
The Menispermaceae are mainly tropical rainforest plants. There are 32 Abuta in tropical America.
References (3)
- Johnson, M. and Colquhoun, A., 1996, Preliminary Ethnobotanical Survey of Kurupukari: An Amerindian Settlement of Central Guyana. Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 182-194
- Kew Plants of the World Online
- Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
