Abuta selloana

Family: Menispermaceae

What it is like

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.

The Menispermaceae are mainly tropical rainforest plants. There are 32 Abuta in tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It can tolerate cool temperatures and some drought. It grows between 500-1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil, South America

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Both male and female plants are needed so a small group of plants is best. Seeds can take 2-4 months to germinate.

Plants start fruiting 3-4 years after planting. In Brazil plants fruit August to October.

Its other names

Local names

Pitomba delipo

Synonyms

Cissampelos ovata Vell.;