Abstract
Loroco,Fernaldia pandurata (Apocynaceae), grows wild commonly in northern Central America and southern Mexico. The peculiarly odoriferous buds and unopened flowers are habitually consumed, especially in El Salvador and Honduras, usually cooked with cheese, eggs, rice, or chicken or combined with other ingredients in crepes, tortillas, and tamales. To meet the demand of countrymen now living in the United States, farmers in El Salvador are cultivating the vine commercially and exporting the flowers mainly to California and Washington, DC. The flowers are reported to be high in calcium and niacin. Though this vine is closely related to toxic members of the dogbane family, tests of the flowers for cardiac glycosides are negative. The root is used as a poison.
Resumen
Loroco,Fernaldia pandurata (Apocynaceae), crece silvestre frequentemente en el norte de América Central y en el sur de México. Los pimpollos y flores jóvenes, odoríferos, se comen habitualmente, sobre todo en El Salvador y Honduras, generalmente cocidas con queso, huevos, arroz, pollo, o, junto con otros ingredientes, en crepas, tortillas, y tamales. A modo de satisficer los deseos de los compatriotas viviendo en los Estados Unidos, agricultores en El Salvador están cultivando la planta en escala comercial y exportando las flores a California y Washington, DC. Las flores son ricas en calcio y niacina. Aunque la trepadora es pariente cercana de otros miembros de la familia botánica Apocynaceae que son tóxicas, las pruebas revelan la ausencia de glicosidas cardicas: La raiz se emplea para envenenar.
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Morton, J.F., Alvarez, E. & Quiñonez, C. Loroco,Fernaldia pandurata (Apocynaceae): A popular edible flower of Central America. Econ Bot 44, 301–310 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183911
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183911