Videira Silvestre
Abuta platyphylla

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. Chemical composition: Protein = none. Sugars = trace. Starch = 50.30%. Moisture = 13.50%. Minerals = 1.22%. Fibre (crude, etc.) = 34.98%. Ash: SiO2 = 65.9% (0.79% in gum). Fe2O = 1.2% (0.014% in gum). Thiamine = 22.5mcg per 100g. Riboflavin = negative.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil, Guiana, South America

How it is used for food

A flour is extracted from the root starch

Edible parts

Root, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Parreira Brava, Uva do Apa, Vidiera silvestre

Synonyms

Abuta cinerescens St. Hil.;