Sacha Inchi: Super Seeds
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By Amanda Bueno-Kling and Giselle Correa #sachainchi
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2022-05-29T13:51:57-07:00
Nomenclatural History
The Linnean binomial name is Plukenetia volubilis Linnaeus, often abbreviated as Plukenetia volubilis L. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 (Flores, 2010).
Common names include inca peanut and sacha inchi, which comes from Quechua and roughly translates to 'false peanut'.
Other indigenous names are sometimes used, including sacha yachi, suwaa, correa, amauebe, maní estrella, and maní del monte (mountain peanut), (Kohdahl, 2020).Evolutionary History
Plukenetia volubilis is closely related to a number of other species in the Plukenetia genus. The genus is comprised of two clades based on the venation of the leaves. Taxa in the pinnately veined clade have only one primary vein on each leaf. Taxa in the palmately veined clade, which Plukenetia volubilis belongs to, have between three and five primary veins. (Kohdahl & Sørensen, 2021)
Species in the genus Plukenetia are widely distributed in tropical regions of the world, including Central America, Mexico, South America, Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia. Analysis suggests that the genus originated in the forests of Brazil around 28.7 million years ago, and later dispersed to other regions. The ancestor of Plukenetia volubilis is thought to be the only lineage that dispersed to Central and South America and later returned to the Amazon during the Pliocene, where it speciated in the Andes. (Cardinal-McTeague et al., 2019) Ecology and Life History
Plukenetia volubilis is found throughout the western and northern regions of the Amazon Basin. It is distributed through portions of Brazil, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, and the Lesser Antilles. The plant grows in moist, lowland forests, preferring disturbed areas and the edges of forests. Though it tends to grow at elevations under 900 m, it is capable of producing fruit up to altitudes of 1490 m elevation. Plukenetia volubilis can tolerate temperatures ranging between 10-37ºC. Plants typocally flower 3-5 months after germination and fruit 8-9 months after germinating. (Kodahl, 2020)Vegetative Morphology
Plukenetia volubilis has palmately veined leaves, with .Reproductive Morphology
Sacha inchi has both staminate (male) flowers and pistillate (female) flowers, arranged together in a racemose thyrse. There is one or a few pistillate flowers at the base of the inflorescence, with several staminate flowers above the pistillate flower(s). The flowers are very small and do not have any petals, though they do have 4-5 greenish-yellow sepals. (Kodahl, 2020)
The fruit of P. volubilis is lobed and typically has 4 carpels, though in cultivation is often has 5 carpels. Each carpel contains a lenticular seed surrounded by a hard testa. (Kodahl, 2020)Historical Accounts
There is archaelogical evidence that sacha inchi was cultivated by the Incas around 3000-5000 years ago. Inca grave sites include depictions of sacha inchi plants and seed pods. (Kodahl, 2020)Domestication History
Though Plukenetia volubilis is not entirely domesticated, there is evidence of semi-domestication in the Plukenetia genus. (Cardinal-McTeague et al., 2019) Recent efforts to fully domesticate P. volubilis and increase the prevalence of desirable traits focus on increasing seed size to generate larger harvest yields. There has been both targeted breeding and selection during replanting, where farmers only utilize the largest seeds when establishing P. volubilis plantations. (Kohdahl, 2020)
Plukenetia volubilis displays high amounts of genetic diversity between wild populations, which is promising for domestication efforts. The plant can also be propagated by cuttings to produce genetically identical plants which take less time to flower than plants grown from seed. (Kohdahl, 2020)Cultivation Practices
Nutritional Value
Culinary Applications
Sacha inchi has been used in traditional Peruvian cooking in a variety of ways, and can be used as a substitute for peanuts. There are numerous examples of traditional Peruvian foods that can be made using sacha inchi. Incachapi is a soup made from boiling sacha inchi, corn, chicken, garlic, and coriander. Porridges can be made by boiling plantains and sacha inchi together, including lechona api (made with green plantains) and pururuca (made with ripe plantains). Sacha inchi can also be made into a butter by roasting it and then grinding it with salt and water. Roasted and salted sacha inchi is a popular snack. Though the seeds and seed oil are most often consumed, the leaves have also been cooked and eaten or dried and made into tea. (Flores, 2010)Medicinal Value
References
Cardinal-McTeague, W. M., Wurdack, K. J., Sigel, E. M., & Gillespie, L. J. (2019, January 22). Seed size evolution and biogeography of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae), a pantropical genus with traditionally cultivated oilseed species - BMC ecology and evolution. BioMed Central. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from https://bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12862-018-1308-9
Flores, D. (2010, August 31). Uso Histórico: Sacha Inchi Plukenetia Volubilis L. Centro de Información | Repositorio Institucional. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://repositorio.promperu.gob.pe/handle/123456789/1371Kodahl, N. (2020, March 17). Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia Volubilis L.)-from lost crop of the Incas to part of the solution to global challenges? - planta. SpringerLink. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00425-020-03377-3
Kodahl, N., & Sørensen, M. (2021, May 25). Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia Volubilis L.) is an underutilized crop with a great potential. MDPI. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/6/1066/htm
