Uruku

Taxonomy hierarchy of Uruku

 Kingdom:                               Plantae

    Subkingdom:                          Vidriplantae

       Infrakingdom:                         Streptophyta

          Superdivision:                          Embryophyta

             Division:                                   Tracheophyta

                Subdivision:                              Spermatophytina

                   Class:                                          Magnoliopsida

                      Superorder:                                 Rosanae                

                         Order:                                          Malvales

                            Family:                                        Bixaceae

                               Genus:                                          Bixa L.             

                                  Species:                                          Bixa Orellana  

Scientific Name:

Bixa Orellana.

Common Names:

Achiote, Annato, Uruku, Urucum

Categorization as Cash Crop:

Dye Crop. Uruku contains two main components in its seeds. One is the Bixin which contains the red pigmentation and Norobixin which contains a more yellowish pigmentation. This components are extracted and are the most used pigments in the world. It is highly used in the Culinary market, the textile market and also highly in the Cosmetic market, even getting the nickname of Lipstick Tree.

Origin:

Uruku originates from northern South America up to central America and Southern Mexico. It was first catalloged by and early explorer of the Amazon River called Francisco Orellana. After this it was highly traded do to its dye pigments to Southeast Asia, Africa, Southeastern Northamerica, ehich later began to be cultivated in India, Sri Lanka and Java mainly because of the coloring pigments the seed give.

Plant Anatomy and Morphology:

This plant is a dicot plant. This means that after germination two leafs are visible, with a more flat and round aspect to it. This is because the leafs contain embryosperm to feed the embryoplant.

In my opinion the most interesting morphological aspect of uruku are the arangments and shapes of the fruits. It normaly gives the fruits in clumps. The fruits are ovally shaped with hairlike parts. Once rype the fruits are easaly opened in half conting the red pigmented seeds inside. 

Urku root system is categorized as a tap root. It has a main root that goes deep in the ground having secondary and terciary roots coming out of the main root. 

It is considered and ideterminate plant since it will keep growing after the it has given fruits. It is a plant that is considered as a bush and it can reach heights of 3 to 10 meters.

Uruku gives flowers varying in color from white, yellow and red. The flowers contain an ovary which carries many a serie of eggs in its interior. The flowers are hermaphrodites and grow at the edge of rhe bush later froming into the fruits. The fruits form in a oval shape with inofensive spines. Inside this fruits you cna find an average of 40 seeds in the same oval shape but smaller.

References

CABI. (2019a). Bixa orellana (annatto). Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Cabi.org website: https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/9242

NA. (2010). ITIS Standard Report Page: Bixa orellana. Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Itis.gov website: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=22251#null

NA. (2019b). Etnobot�nica e Taxonomia do Urucuzeiro. Retrieved September 20, 2019, from Infobibos.com website: http://www.infobibos.com/Artigos/2008_1/UrucumTaxon/Index.htm

Raddatz-Mota, D., Pérez-Flores, L. J., Carrari, F., Mendoza-Espinoza, J. A., de León-Sánchez, F. D., Pinzón-López, L. L., … Rivera-Cabrera, F. (2017). Achiote (Bixa orellana L.): a natural source of pigment and vitamin E. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(6), 1729–1741. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2579-7