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Asteraceae

Subfamily Asteriodeae
Tribe Astereae

Subfamily Asteriodeae
Tribe Eupatorieae

Subfamily Asteriodeae
Tribe Senecioneae

Subfamily Asteroideae

Subfamily Barnesioideae
Tribe Barnedesieae

Subfamily Cichorioideae
Tribe Lactuceae

Spilanthes oleracea Jacquin

  • Query IPNI
  • Common Name: Toothache Plant, Para Cress
  • Family: Asteraceae Giseke

  • Country of Origin: Brazil
  • Habitat:

  • Description: Paracress has no particular odour, but when eaten it has an interesting flavour that slowly develops from pleasant and salty to a strong, tickling-burning pungency that leaves back a numb feeling in the mouth. Biting into a flower head of paracress is an adventure long remembered!

    The pungent flavour of paracress is due to an unsaturated alkamid, spilanthol, which reaches its highest concentration (1%) in the flowers.

  • Uses: Culinary use of paracress is today restricted to tropical Brazil, particularly the provinces Acre, Amazonas, Pará and Ceará, where the herb is much used in the cooking styles of the indigenous peoples. There, the strach-containing tubers of manioc is a staple, and since that vegetable has a quite bland taste, it is often flavoured with potent spices. For this purpuse, paracress is often used; the leaves are used fresh, added as a whole and eaten as an additional source of vitamins (and flavour).
Images of this accession: {and/or its current location}

 

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 200700052
  • Source: Jardin Botanique De La Gacilly 2007 Index Seminum
  • Accession Date: 03-19-2007
  • Bench: 2111 - Ant Acacias
  • Qty: 2 confirmed on 05-05-2008
Classification:

  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • SubClass: euasterid II
  • Order: Asterales
  • SubOrder:
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • SubFamily:
  • Tribe:
  • SubTribe:
References:

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