Plukenetia volubilis, sacha inchi, sacha peanut, mountain peanut seeds

Plukenetia volubilis seeds, Sacha Inchi

fresh and viable seeds of rare Plukenetia volubilis, commonly known as sacha inchi, sacha peanut, mountain peanut or Inca-peanut. It is endemic to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, where it has been cultivated by indigenous people for centuries.

The plant reaches a height of 2 m (6' 6"), with alternate, heart shaped, serrated leaves, 10 to 12 cm long (4"-4.7") and 8 to 10 cm (3.1-3.9") wide, that have petioles 2–6 cm (0.8-2.3") long. It flowers five months after being planted, and bears seeds around the eighth month. The male flowers are small, white, and arranged in clusters. Two female flowers are located at the base of the inflorescence.
In tropical locations it often is a vine requiring support and producing seeds nearly year-round. The fruits are capsules of 3 to 5 cm in diameter with 4 to 7 points, are green and ripen blackish brown. On ripening the fruits contain a soft black wet pulp that is messy and inedible, so are normally left to dry on the plant before harvest. By two years of age, often up to one hundred dried fruits can be harvested at a time, giving 400 to 500 seeds a few times a year. Fruit capsules usually consist of four to five lobes, but some may have up to seven. Inside are the seeds, oval, dark-brown, 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter and 45 to 100 grams of weight. The cotyledons are open, similar to those of almonds, and covered with a whitish film. Raw seeds are inedible, but roasting after shelling makes them very palatable.

Propagation:

Roughen the seedcoat with a file or sandpaper and let it soak with water for 24 hours. Plant the seed about 1-2cm deep into moist soil and temperatures of 24°C + . Germination will start after about 3 weeks