- Thaumatococcus daniellii
taxobox
name = "Thaumatococcus daniellii"
regnum =Plantae
unranked_divisio =Angiosperms
unranked_classis =Monocots
unranked_ordo =Commelinids
ordo =Zingiberales
familia =Marantaceae
genus = "Thaumatococcus "
species = "T. daniellii"
binomial = "Thaumatococcus daniellii"
binomial_authority = (Benn.) Benth.
synonyms = "Phrynium daniellii"|"Thaumatococcus daniellii" is a species of tropical flowering plant known by several common names, including katamfe or katempfe, Yoruba soft cane, and African serendipity berry. It is known for being the natural source of
thaumatin , an intensely sweet protein which is of interest in the development of sweeteners. This is a large rhizomatous flowering herb native to the rainforests ofGhana and surrounding African nations. It is also anintroduced species in the rainforests of northernAustralia . It grows three to four meters in height and has large papery leaves up to 46 centimeters long. It bears pale purple flowers and a soft fruit containing a few shiny black seeds. The fruit is covered in a fleshy redaril , which is the part that contains thaumatin. In its native range the plant has a number of uses besides flavoring. The sturdy leaf petioles are used as tools and building materials, the leaves are used to wrap food, and the leaves and seeds have a number of traditional medicinal uses.This plant is sometimes called miracle fruit, but the unrelated species "Synsepalum dulcificum" is better known by that name.
External links
* [http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.UPWTA.4_117&pgs= Aluka Species Profile]
* [http://www.hear.org/pier/species/thaumatococcus_daniellii.htm PIER Species Profile]
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl?Thaumatococcus%20daniellii GRIN Species Profile]
*ITIS|ID=506517
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