Sarcolobus globosus
Sarcolobus globosus is a climbing vine in the family Apocynaceae (the dogbanes), native to tropical Asia.
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Genus: Sarcolobus
- Species: S. globosus
- Synonyms: Sarcolobus banksii Roem. & Schult.; S. spanoghei Miq.;
- Vietnamese names: dây cám (plant), trái cám (fruit), trái dây cám, trái cá
Sarcolobus globosus is usually found in swampy areas and river banks. In Vietnam, it is commonly found in southern parts of the country.
Confusion
The fruits of Sarcolobus globosus are known as trái cám or trái dây cám in Vietnamese, however the word trái cám is often confused with another fruit with homophone (in Vietnamese) from the plant Parinari anamensis. The latter is a tall flowering tree, not a vine.
The fruits of Sarcolobus globosus are sometimes mistaken for the fruits of an unrelated plant named Limonia acidissima (wood-apple).
Uses and Poison Warnings
Sarcolobus globosus is not widely known in Vietnam. The inner core of the Sarcolobus globosus resemble a fish, so it’s also nicknamed “trái cá” (fishfruit) in Vietnamese.
The inner core of the fruits is described as similar to jicama, however it’s noted that the seeds are poisonous. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list Sarcolobus globosus as poisonous plant.
Source: https://www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/detail.cfm?id=2054