''Frantzia'' is a genus of the
gourd family,
Cucurbitaceae containing around 6 species of herbaceous climbers with tuberous roots. All members grow in forest and secondary scrub in Central America where tacaco (''
Frantzia tacaco
''Frantzia'' is a genus of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae containing around 6 species of herbaceous climbers with tuberous roots. All members grow in forest and secondary scrub in Central America where tacaco ('' Frantzia tacaco'') is a widely ...
'') is a widely cultivated vegetable.
Description
''Frantzia'' species can reach several meters long. Flowers are small and monoecious with male flowers produced in racemes and female flowers either solitary or in groups of 2-5. Leaves are simple, long-petiolate, with palmately lobed or angulate blade.
Taxonomy
The accepted species according to the
Catalogue of Life
The Catalogue of Life is an online database that provides an index of known species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It was created in 2001 as a partnership between the global Species 2000 and the American Integrated Taxonomic Info ...
are:
* ''
Frantzia panamensis''
Wunderlin
* ''
Frantzia pittieri''
(Cogn.) Pittier
* ''
Frantzia tacaco
''Frantzia'' is a genus of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae containing around 6 species of herbaceous climbers with tuberous roots. All members grow in forest and secondary scrub in Central America where tacaco ('' Frantzia tacaco'') is a widely ...
''
(Pittier) Wunderlin
* ''
Frantzia talamancensis''
Wunderlin
* ''
Frantzia venosa''
L. D. Gómez
* ''
Frantzia villosa''
Wunderlin
''Frantzia'' is placed in the ''
Sicyoeae'' tribe.
Phylogenetics
''Frantzia'' is sister to the ''
Echinopepon'' genus within the Sicyoeae tribe. Phylogenetic studies suggest these relationships:
References
Cucurbitoideae
Cucurbitaceae genera
{{Cucurbitales-stub