Wild grape, Bitter potato, Oenpelli grape
Cayratia maritima
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
A scrambling vine. Each year the top dies down but the plant re-grows from the rootstock. The plant has tendrils which are divided into 3 at the tip. The leaves occur one after another along opposite sides of the stalk. Each leaf is made up of 3 leaflets. The central leaflet is oval and 4-9 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The side leaflets are unequal in shape and 3-8 cm long by 2.4 cm wide. The edges of all the leaflets have teeth. The leaflets do not have hairs except for a row of hooked hairs along the midrib. The flower cluster has 3-5 branches and grows from the axil of the leaf. The cluster is made up of many flowers and is 10 cm wide. The flowers are greenish-white and 1-2 mm across. The fruit is rounded but also flattened. It is 1.5 cm across and 1 cm long. The fruit are black when ripe. Inside there are 2-4 seeds. These are boat shaped and 5-7 mm long. They have ridges.
There are about 45 Cayratia species. They are mainly in tropical areas.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. Plants grow on the edges of monsoon forest near the coast. They commonly occur near permanent water.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia, Taiwan
How it is used for food
The fruit can be eaten raw. It has a strong taste.
It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can regrow from the underground tuber. Plants grow in the wet season and die back in the dry season.
In northern Australia flowering occurs from April to June and the fruit are ripe May and June.