Botanical Name: Pourouma cecropiifolia
Family: Urticaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales
Genus: Pourouma
Species: P. cecropiifolia
Synonyms: Pourouma edulis Dufr. Pourouma multifida Tr?cul Pourouma sapida P.Karst. Pourouma uvifera Rusby
Common Names: Amazon grape, Amazon tree-grape or Uvilla
Habitat : Amazon grape is native to tropical South America, in the western Amazon Basin in northern Bolivia, western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and southern Venezuela.
Description:
Amazon grape tree is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 20 m tall. The leaves are palmately compound, with 9–11 leaflets 10–20 cm long and 2.5–4 cm broad, on a 20 cm petiole. The flowers are white, produced 20 or more together in a 10 cm long inflorescence; it is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The fruit is ovoid, 1–2 cm long, purple when ripe, grape-like except for its wintergreen smell; the skin is rough, inedible but easily peeled.
Cultivation:
A tree of the hot, humid, tropical lowlands, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It is not tolerant of frost. Succeeds in full sun or dappled shade. Found in the wild on fertile, clayey soils. A relatively fast-growing plant, it can commence fruiting when three years old. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seeds are required.
Edible Uses: The fruit is sweet and juicy, eaten fresh and made into jams. The tree grows quickly, and grows well in poor upland soils. It is vulnerable to floods. The fruit is susceptible to fungal attacks and does not keep well, which limits its commercial viability.
Medicinal Uses: The warmed bark is used as a poultice for treating hard boils.
Other Uses: The wood is light, soft and easy to work. It has a thick texture, poor mechanical properties and is not very durable. It is used for linings, boxes, toys and plywood. It is also pulped for cellulose.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pourouma_cecropiifolia
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pourouma+cecropiifolia
