Micrandra sprucei
(Mull.Arg.) R. E. Schult.
gbif· cc-by
The New York Botanical Garden
gbif· cc-by
The New York Botanical Garden
gbif· cc-by-nc-sa
MBG
Description
An evergreen tropical tree from the hot, dry Caatinga region of Brazil with well-drained sandy soils and 6-11 months without rain annually.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked. The seeds are poisonous raw and need careful preparation to render them safe to eat. They are boiled and then washed several times to leech out the toxic compounds, after which they are broken up by hand. A paste resembling cream-cheese in appearance and taste can be prepared from them. Alternatively, the damp mash can be gently toasted on a flat plate over the fire and reduced to a fine greyish white meal which is made into casabe or unleavened bread
Traditional Uses
The seeds are cooked and washed in several changes of water them mashed. Caution: The seeds contain cyanide.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Known Hazards
The seeds contain cyanic compounds and are poisonous. They can, however, be prepared as food - see the method below in Edible Uses.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in Caatinga on well-drained sandy soils. The climate in hot and dry often with 6-11 months without rain. The average annual rainfall is 250-1,000 mm and the average temperature from 24-26°C.
Where It Grows
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, South America, Venezuela,
Cultivation
A plant of the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate is hot and dry, there are usually 6 to 11 months without rain each year. The mean annual rainfall varies from 250 - 1,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is from 24 - 26°c. Found on well-drained, sandy soils in the wild.
Other Uses
A quantity of oil is collected from the seed when they are boiled in water. A very bitter flavour, it is burned in lamps to provide illumination.
Synonyms
References (3)
- Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
- Kew Plants of the World On line
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 160
