Frantzia
Introduction '''''Frantzia''''' is a genus of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae containing around 6 species of herbaceous climbers with tuberous roots. All members grow in forest and secondary scrub in Central America where tacaco (''Frantzia tacaco'') is a widely cultivated vegetable.
Description ''Frantzia'' species can reach several meters long. Flowers are small and monoecious with male flowers produced in racemes and female flowers either solitary or in groups of 2–5.Leaves are simple, long-petiolate, with palmately lobed or angulate blade.
Taxonomy The accepted species according to the Catalogue of Life are:* ''Frantzia panamensis'' Wunderlin* ''Frantzia pittieri'' (Cogn.) Pittier* ''Frantzia tacaco'' (Pittier) Wunderlin* ''Frantzia talamancensis'' Wunderlin* ''Frantzia venosa'' L. D. Gómez* ''Frantzia villosa'' Wunderlin''Frantzia'' is placed in the ''Sicyoeae'' tribe.
Phylogenetics ''Frantzia'' is sister to the ''Echinopepon'' genus within the Sicyoeae tribe. Phylogenetic studies suggest these relationships:
References