''Willughbeia edulis'' is a

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

species bearing

tropical fruit A tropical fruit one that typically grows in warm climates, or equatorial areas. Tropical fruits Varieties of tropical fruit include: * Acerola ( West Indian Cherry or Barbados Cherry) *Ackee *Banana *Barbadine (granadilla; maracujá-açu in ...

in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

Etymology

The tropical plant genus ''

Willughbeia ''Willughbeia'' is a genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1820. It is native to Southeast Asia with a few species in the Indian Subcontinent. Several species have edible fruits enjoyed in many countries. Many s ...

'' all commemorate

Francis Willughby Francis Willughby (sometimes spelt Willoughby, la, Franciscus Willughbeius) FRS (22 November 1635 – 3 July 1672) was an English ornithologist and ichthyologist, and an early student of linguistics and games. He was born and raised at M ...

, English ornithologist and ichthyologist. ''Edulis'' comes from the Latin, which translates as edible. In fact, it is one of the rare climbing plants of Southeast Asia of which the fruits are eatable.

Description

It is a yellow sour edible fruit found in: India, Indo-China (Cambodia, Myanmar, and

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

(northeastern) with Chanthaburi Province of Thailand as well as Vietnam) include Peninsular Malaysia. It may be known under a number of synonyms including "''Willughbeia cochinchinensis''". After its reddish lenticelled stems are excised, they exude a milky

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

which produces a rubber called ''chittagong''. The roots can be used as a red dye and it may be used medicinally in parts of Asia including Cambodia.

Vernacular names

Local names include: (គុយ) in Cambodia; ''gedraphol'', ''laleng-tenga'', ''bel-tata'' in India; (ต้นคุย), (เถาคุย), (เครือ), and (กะตังกะติ้ว) in Thai; (บักยางป่า) in Isan dialect. in Myanmar; and in Vietnamese.http://www.foodplantsinternational.com/index.php?sec=plants&page=simple_info&plantid=17519&nocache=1 Food Plants International Helping the Hungry Feed Themselves in Indonesia refers to a similar edible relative, '' W. sarawacensis''.

References

External links

W. Plant Data: Edulis (Thai)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q8022505 edulis Tropical fruit Flora of Assam (region) Flora of Bangladesh Flora of Indo-China Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Fruits originating in Asia Plants described in 1820