Gnetum urens
| Gnetum urens | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Gnetophyta |
| Order: | Gnetales |
| Family: | Gnetaceae |
| Genus: | Gnetum |
| Species: | G. urens
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| Binomial name | |
| Gnetum urens (Aubl.) Blume
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
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Gnetum urens is a species of vine or a liana native to northern South America. Its common name is sweet leaf, stick-on-a-sprout, yasohamba, penetrate-a-leaf, catkin-sprout, and bell bird's heart.[1] There are major economic uses of G. urens. While it has had several names, the accepted scientific name is G. urens (Aubl.) Blume as published in 1834.[2]
Description
[edit]G. urens is a slender vine with smooth, light gray bark.
It has thin, elliptic leaves up to 12 cm long and 6 cm wide. The leaf apex is acute and the base is obtuse. They are yellow-green in color. Primary and secondary veins are narrow, while tertiary veins are relatively obscure.
The microsporangiate axes are sparsely branched, with short internodes of about 1-2 mm between bract collars. Microsporophyll barely extends past the collar. The female branches are rarely branched, with an internode of up to 10 mm between bract collars. Mature seeds range in color from yellow to red and are oblong to obovoid in shape. The seeds grow up to 40 mm long and 20 mm in diameter, with a thin outer layer and a fibrous inner layer.[3]
Habitat
[edit]It occupies river valleys, river basins, and black water swamps[3] in northern Brazil, Columbia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.[2]
Conservation
[edit]The IUCN Red List assessment published in 2013 of G. urens has placed it in Least Concern category. While the forests of the region face deforestation and mining, there are no specific threats to the tree, and these issues do not constitute a major threat to the survival of the species[4]
Uses
[edit]The seeds of the bell bird's heart are edible; after it has been cooked.
References
[edit]- ^ "Gnetum urens (Aubl.) Blume". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Gnetum urens (Aubl.) Blume | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
- ^ a b Stevenson, D.; Zanoni, T. (1991). Flora of the Guianas, Series A: Phanerogams, Fascicle 9, Sections 209 Gnetaceae and 210 Pinaceae. USA/Germany: Koeltz Scientific Books.
- ^ Baloch, E.; Bachman, S. (2011). "Gnetum urens". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2011-1.rlts.t194956a8927844.en.