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Useful Tropical Plants

Vasconcellea monoica

(Desf.) A.DC.

Caricaceae

+ Synonyms

Carica boliviana Rusby

Carica citriformis Hook.f.

Carica erythrocarpa Linden & André

Carica monoica Desf.

Papaya erythrocarpa (Linden & André) Kuntze

Papaya monoica (Desf.) Poir.

Vasconcellea hookeri A.DC.

Common Name: Peladera

Vasconcellea monoica
Ripening fruits on a plant in the Botanical Garden Berlin-Dahlem, Germany.
Photograph by: Steffen Zahn
Creative Commons License
Vasconcellea monoica Vasconcellea monoica Vasconcellea monoica Vasconcellea monoica Vasconcellea monoica

General Information

Peladera is a shrub growing 1 - 4 metres tall.
The fruit is well liked within the plants native range[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
]. It is sometimes harvested from the wild, and the tree is also sometimes semi-cultivated or cultivated. The fruit is sold in local markets[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
669
Title
Red Book of Crop Wild Relatives in Bolivia
Publication
 
Author
Mora A. Et al
Website
http://www.cropwildrelatives.org/fileadmin/www.cropwildrelatives.org/documents/Red%20Book%20of%20CWR%20of%20BOL_eng.pdf
Publisher
VMABCC-BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL; Bolivia
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a number of less well-known crops in Bolivia.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador.

Habitat

Humid montane belt to the lower montane or sub-Andean belt in areas of humid seasonal forests; sub-humid semi-deciduous lower montane forests; secondary woodland savannahs of the inferior sub-Andean Amazon in zones with a humid seasonal climate[
669
Title
Red Book of Crop Wild Relatives in Bolivia
Publication
 
Author
Mora A. Et al
Website
http://www.cropwildrelatives.org/fileadmin/www.cropwildrelatives.org/documents/Red%20Book%20of%20CWR%20of%20BOL_eng.pdf
Publisher
VMABCC-BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL; Bolivia
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a number of less well-known crops in Bolivia.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
HabitShrub
Height3.00 m
Growth RateFast
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from about 500 - 2,000 metres[
669
Title
Red Book of Crop Wild Relatives in Bolivia
Publication
 
Author
Mora A. Et al
Website
http://www.cropwildrelatives.org/fileadmin/www.cropwildrelatives.org/documents/Red%20Book%20of%20CWR%20of%20BOL_eng.pdf
Publisher
VMABCC-BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL; Bolivia
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a number of less well-known crops in Bolivia.
]. It grows best in areas with high rainfall and mild temperatures[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
].

Although small, the plant grows vigorously and commences fruiting when young[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
].
The plant is self-fertile, producing fruits even when one plant is grown on its own[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
].
The plant hybridizes easily with V. Pubescens, often yielding hybrids that bear fruit of a good flavour[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
]. The plant is used in hybridization programmes with other members of the genus[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit. Insipid, when eaten raw they are usually combined with other fruits[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
]. Generally eaten cooked with lemon and sugar, when they are said to resemble stewed apricots[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. The flesh is somewhat tough - it is excellent for dried or candied fruit and also freezes well[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. The small to very small fruits have a high level of papain[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. The fruits can be up to 6cm in diameter[
669
Title
Red Book of Crop Wild Relatives in Bolivia
Publication
 
Author
Mora A. Et al
Website
http://www.cropwildrelatives.org/fileadmin/www.cropwildrelatives.org/documents/Red%20Book%20of%20CWR%20of%20BOL_eng.pdf
Publisher
VMABCC-BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL; Bolivia
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a number of less well-known crops in Bolivia.
].

Young seedlings and mature leaves - cooked[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
]. Used like cabbage[
196
Title
Lost Crops of the Incas
Publication
 
Author
Popenoe. H. et al
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
1990
ISBN
0-309-04264-X
Description
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
,
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in individual containers or in a nursery seedbed in light shade. Germination can be slow and difficult, taking about 30 days[
670
Title
Study of the Cultivation Potential of Native Fruit Species in Loja Province, Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
Scheldeman X.
Website
http://www.tropicallab.ugent.be/start.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A partial study, published on the Internet, of the family Caricaceae, with some very good photographs. Also, some notes on the Cherimoya.
]. Seedlings can be planted out when 4 - 6 months old[
670
Title
Study of the Cultivation Potential of Native Fruit Species in Loja Province, Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
Scheldeman X.
Website
http://www.tropicallab.ugent.be/start.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A partial study, published on the Internet, of the family Caricaceae, with some very good photographs. Also, some notes on the Cherimoya.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Vasconcellea+monoica>

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