Fernaldia pandurata
Encyclopedia
Fernaldia pandurata Woodson in family Apocynaceae
(common name: loroco) is a vine with edible flowers that grows in El Salvador
, the eastern part of Guatemala, and other Central America
n countries. It is an important and popular source of food in El Salvador and Guatemala
. The plant's buds and flowers are used for cooking in a variety of ways, including in pupusa
s.
The name "loroco" is used throughout Mesoamerica
to identify Fernaldia pandurata (A. DC.) Woodson. In Guatemala, another species (Fernaldia brachypharnynx Woodson) is endemic to the province of Escuintla
in the southern part of the country and shares the same common name.
Fernaldia pandurata is a herbaceous vine
with oblong-elliptical to broadly ovate
leaves 4–13 cm. long, 1.5–8 cm broad, inflorescence
s are generally somewhat shorter than the leaves, with 8–18 flowers, the pedicel
s 4–6 mm. long; bract
s ovate, 1–2 mm long; calyx
lobes ovate, acute or obtuse, 2–3 mm. long; corolla white within, greenish outside.
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
(common name: loroco) is a vine with edible flowers that grows in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, the eastern part of Guatemala, and other Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n countries. It is an important and popular source of food in El Salvador and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The plant's buds and flowers are used for cooking in a variety of ways, including in pupusa
Pupusa
A pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick, hand-made corn tortilla that is usually filled with a blend of the following: cheese , cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency...
s.
The name "loroco" is used throughout Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
to identify Fernaldia pandurata (A. DC.) Woodson. In Guatemala, another species (Fernaldia brachypharnynx Woodson) is endemic to the province of Escuintla
Escuintla
Escuintla is a city in south central Guatemala. It is the capital of the Escuintla Department and the administrative seat of Escuintla Municipality....
in the southern part of the country and shares the same common name.
Fernaldia pandurata is a herbaceous vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
with oblong-elliptical to broadly ovate
Oval
An oval is any curve resembling an egg or an ellipse, such as a Cassini oval. The term does not have a precise mathematical definition except in one area oval , but it may also refer to:* A sporting arena of oval shape** a cricket field...
leaves 4–13 cm. long, 1.5–8 cm broad, inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are generally somewhat shorter than the leaves, with 8–18 flowers, the pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
s 4–6 mm. long; bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s ovate, 1–2 mm long; calyx
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
lobes ovate, acute or obtuse, 2–3 mm. long; corolla white within, greenish outside.