Inca-Peanut Fruit Plant (Plukenetia Volubilis)

Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) -

Botanical Name: Plukenetia Volubilis

Common Names: Sacha Inchi, Sacha Peanut, Mountain Peanut, Inca Nut, Inca-Peanut

General Information:

A perennial plant in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Native to tropical South America and some Windward Islands in the Caribbean.

Slender climbing shrub. Scrambles over the ground and twines into other plants for support.

Start out green and turn blackish brown as they ripen. Typically left to dry on the vine before harvest.

Fully ripe fruits contain a messy, squishy, black, wet pulp that is inedible.

Fruit capsules have four to five lobes, sometimes up to seven.

Typically contains four to five cotyledons.

Covered in a yellowish layer.

Nutritional Content:

High protein and oil content.

Oil is rich in essential fatty acids omega-3 linolenic acid.

Contains non-essential omega-fat content.

Rich in antioxidants.

Cultivation Details:

Bloom Time/Fruiting: 1 Year

Maintenance Required: Moderate