| Loroco | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Subfamily: | Apocynoideae |
| Genus: | Fernaldia |
| Species: | F. pandurata |
| Binomial name | |
| Fernaldia pandurata |
|
Fernaldia pandurata (A. DC.) Woodson in family Apocynaceae (common name: loroco) is a vine with edible flowers that grows in El Salvador, the eastern part of Guatemala, and other Central American countries. It is an important and popular source of food in El Salvador and Guatemala. The plant's buds and flowers are used for cooking in a variety of ways, including in pupusas.
The name "loroco" is used throughout Mesoamerica to identify Fernaldia pandurata (A. DC.) Woodson. In Guatemala, another species (Fernaldia brachypharnynx Woodson) is endemic to the province of Escuintla in the southern part of the country and shares the same common name.[1]
Fernaldia pandurata is a herbaceous vine with oblong-elliptical to broadly ovate leaves 4–13 cm. long, 1.5–8 cm broad, inflorescences are generally somewhat shorter than the leaves, with 8–18 flowers, the pedicels 4–6 mm. long; bracts ovate, 1–2 mm long; calyx lobes ovate, acute or obtuse, 2–3 mm. long; corolla white within, greenish outside.[1]