Carano
Amphipterygium adstringens

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 4-9 m tall. The bark is wrinkled and grey. It has corky lumps. The branches have scars of fallen leaves. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk and one at the end. There are 3-7 leaflets. The leaflets have a wedge shaped base. There are teeth along the edge. The end leaflet is spoon shaped. The male flowering shoot is 8-9 cm long. The female flowers are 1.3 cm long. There are 2-4 flowers.

The bark is used for medicine.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in deciduous forests. It grows between 200-700 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Central America, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit stalk

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The fruit can be washed and soaked in water fro 24 hours and then planted without having to removed the seeds from the fruit.

Plants flower June to August and fruit August to January.

Its other names

Local names

Chalalate, Coachalalate, Copal carano, Cuacha, Cuachalalate

Synonyms

Hypopterygium adstrigens Schltdl.; Juliania adstrigens (Schltdl.) Schltdl.;