Arakacha
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Arakacha plant ( Arracacia xanthorrhiza ); Curtis's Botanical Magazine , Plate 3092 (Volume 58, 1831) |
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Arakacha ( Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr. , Syn . : Arracacia esculenta DC .; Conium arracacia Hook. ) Is a useful plant from the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae).
description
The perennial herbaceous plant , which is similar to our celery , reaches heights of growth of 1.0 to 1.5 m. The pinnate leaves with pinnate-shaped leaflets sit on long, reddish stems . The stems arise from the rosette above-ground root growths (cormel, trunks). The double umbels sit on the generative shoots. The umbels bear male and hermaphrodite, mostly self-sterile, i.e. intrafloral dichogamous flowers, they are pollinated by insects. The species is only self-fertile to a limited extent, so self-pollination can occur. There may be sepals. The five petals are yellow or purple-brown. There are five stamens each.
The species forms several rolled-beet-like tubers (corms, storage roots) with fine lateral roots on the side of a "rhizome". In 8 to 12 months, the carrot-like and potato-colored tubers each grow up to 30 cm long and 3 to 8 cm thick. The “meat” is whitish, yellowish, whitish to yellowish-purple. Since the plants hardly set any fruit, the useful plants are propagated vegetatively by breaking off the roots.
Location
The plant prefers medium loamy-sandy locations, likes fresh soils but does not tolerate soil wetting. It grows best on soils with a pH value of 5–6 (can withstand up to 6.8) in areas with an average rainfall of around 1,000 mm and requires at least 600 mm of rainfall. It is grown in sunny locations as well as in slightly shaded places under trees.
distribution
The distribution is mainly in the Andes from Bolivia , Peru to Colombia at an altitude of 1,800 to 2,600 meters (even up to 3,500 meters), but also in Brazil.
ingredients
Starch (approx. 25%), protein (approx. 1%). Essential oils . Water content approx. 73%.
use
The "roots" can only be kept for a few days and are cooked or steamed (after scraping off the thin bark). Because of the essential oils, they taste spicy and are therefore preferred to potatoes by the Indians . The roots are also grated as a kind of grating dumpling, fried in simmering fat and used as " Buñuelos ". Young, bleached stems and leaves are eaten as salads or vegetables . The "rhizomes" are used as fodder.
Arrakacha is a very promising crop in South America , and numerous research projects are ongoing into its cultivation conditions and use.
See also
literature
- M. Hermann, J. Heller: Arracacha. (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancroft). In: Andean roots and tubers: Ahipa, arracacha, maca, yacon. IPGRI, 1997, ISBN 92-9043-351-5 , pp. 75-164, PDF ( Memento of July 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive ).
- Almeida, LBD and MDVC Penteado: Carotenoids and provitamin A value of "mandioquinha" (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr.) Consumed in Sao Paulo (Brazil). In: Revista De Farmacia E Bioquimica Da Universidade De Sao Paulo. 23 (1): 52-58 (1987).
- W. Franke: Crop science. Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 978-3-13-530403-8 .
- W. Rauh: Morphology of useful plants. 2nd edition, Quelle and Meyer, Heidelberg, 1950, 1994, ISBN 978-3-494-01228-5 (reprint).
- EE Perez, R. Borneo et al .: Chemical, physical and morphometric properties of Peruvian carrot (Arracacia xanthorrhiza B.) starch. In: Acta Cientifica Venezolana. 50 (4): (1999), 240-244, PMID 10974715 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Suzanne Ashworth: Seed to Seed. Seed Savers Exchange, 2002, ISBN 1-882424-58-1 , p. 173.