Common Name:

General Information

Coursetia heterantha is an annual to biennial plant growing from a fleshy rootstock; it can grow from 20 - 500cm tall. The plant is often stemless and, when produced, the stem is usually unbranched[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Argentina, southern Bolivia

Habitat

Disturbed soils, primarily along the margins and in the gravelly banks of arroyos and river beds; usually at elevations from 1,600 - 3,300 metres, sometimes descending to 800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Cleistogomy
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Coursetia heterantha is a plant of the hot, arid regions of northern Argentina and southern Bolivia

The plant bears three type of flowers. One type is open, with petals, and pollinated by bees. The other two types are closed (cleistogamous) and self-fertilizing. One of these is located on the stem base at or below soil level and produces a single, geocarpic fruit. The other type is borne on a short rachis near the base of the plant and produces a 2 - 8 seeded aerial fruit[].

Edible Uses

Roots[]. Fleshy, with a sweet flavour[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is greater, 5 or 9?