Crops Cuphea (Cuphea spp.)

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Crops for Detergents : Crops for Fine Chemicals

Common Name	CUPHEA
Latin binomial	Cupheaspp.
Plant family	Lythraceae
Names in other languages	saliquier (F), hockerkelch (D),

Cuphea is a genus of low-growing annual plants, originating from central regions of the Americas. The seed oils of a number of species contain high proportions of shorter-chain saturated fatty acids, which are used in the production of solvents, detergents and emulsifiers. At present, the only commercially-available sources of these acids are imported coconut and palm kernel oils. Recent work in the USA has resulted in considerable improvements in levels of germination and seed retention, but there remain other barriers to commercialisation. Lack of frost-tolerance, and the unreliability of the weather during the harvest period, suggest that Cuphea spp. are unlikely to be suitable for culture in many parts of Europe.

This entry forms part of the publication Crops for Industry and Energy in Europe

References:

Anthony, K R M, Meadley, J & Robellen, G (Eds) (1993) New Crops for Temperate Regions. London: Chapman & Hall

Janick, J & Simon, J E (Eds) (1990) Advances in New Crops. Proceedings of the First National Symposium on New Crops: Research, Development, Economics. Portland: Timber Press.

Janick, J & Simon, J E (Eds) (1993) New crops: Exploration, Research and Commercialisation. Proceedings of the Second National Symposium. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Perry, F (1972) Flowers of the World. London: Hamlyn Press.

Robellen, G, Downey, K R & Ashri, A (Eds) (1989) Oil Crops of the World: their Breeding and Utilisation. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Industrial Crops and Products. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science B V

Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. Champaign: AOCS Press.

Relevant EC funded projects:
AIR-2003
AGRE-0039