Ayenia catalpifolia

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A creeper. It grows 2 m long. It has a taproot. The bark can be white or red. The leaves are oval and 7-16 cm long by 4-12 cm wide. There have teeth along the edge. The flowers are white. The fruit are 1.2-2.5 cm long and 1.5-3.2 cm wide.

It has also been put in the family Sterculiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In Colombia it grows between 40-1,050 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Marquesas, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The sap from the bark is used to make a sauce.

Edible parts

Bark, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Byttneria amazonica Poepp. ex K. Schum.; Byttneria catalpifolia Jacq.: Byttneria macrocarpa D. A. Sm.; Byttneria tahitensis Nadeaud; Sparattanthelium cordatum Meisn.;