Plant species native to South America grown for its edible fleshy hypocotyl
"Maca" redirects here. For other uses, see Maca (disambiguation).
Lepidium meyenii
Maca hypocotyl and root
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Eudicots
Clade:
Rosids
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Lepidium
Species:
L. meyenii
Binomial name
Lepidium meyenii
Walp.
Synonyms
Lepidium peruvianum
Lepidium meyenii, known as maca or Peruvian ginseng, is an edible herbaceous biennial plant of the family Brassicaceae that is native to South America in the high Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia. It was rediscovered for commercial purposes at the Meseta de Bombón plateau close to Lake Junin in the late 1980s.[1] It is grown for its fleshy hypocotyl that is fused with a taproot, which is typically dried, but may also be freshly cooked as a root vegetable. As a cash crop, it is primarily exported as a powder that may be raw, or processed further as a gelatinized starch or as an extract. If dried, it may be processed into a flour for baking or as a dietary supplement.
Its Spanish and Quechua names include maca-maca, maino, ayak chichira, and ayak willku.
^Hermann, M, Bernet T. "The transition of maca from neglect to market prominence: Lessons for improving use strategies and market chains of minor crops." Agricultural Biodiversity and Livelihoods Discussion Papers 1. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy, 101 p., 2009.
Lepidiummeyenii, known as maca or Peruvian ginseng, is an edible herbaceous biennial plant of the family Brassicaceae that is native to South America...
Brassica, Sinapis, Diplotaxis, Eruca, and Raphanus belong to Brassiceae; Lepidium belongs in Lepidieae; and finally Wasabia (Eutrema) belongs in Eutremeae...
Gustavo F.; Gonzales, Carla; Gonzales-Castañeda, Cynthia (2009). "Lepidiummeyenii (Maca): a plant from the highlands of Peru--from tradition to science"...
Other roots that could be found in the Inca cuisine were the maka (Lepidiummeyenii) and the yacón (Polymnia sonchifolia). Maka was capable of surviving...
to test the theory that the combination of Uncaria guianensis and Lepidiummeyenii can turn on Insulin-like growth factor "Gene Therapy Research Switches...
Lepidium latifolium Dittander Lepidium meyenii Maca A traditional vegetable of the Andean mountain areas Lepidium sativum Garden cress Used in soups, sandwiches...
the Kalalau Valley of Kauai. Other plants in the habitat include Gouania meyenii, Peucedanum sandwicense, Poa mannii, Hedyotis sp., Lysimachia glutinosa...
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