Chrysophyllum pomiferum (Eyma) T.D.Penn.
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Authority
Pennington, Terence D. 1990. Sapotaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 52: 1-750. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Sapotaceae
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Scientific Name
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Synonyms
Achrouteria pomifera Eyma, Pouteria pomifera (Eyma) Baehni, Planchonella guianensis P.Royen
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Description
Species Description - Tree; young shoots with sparse appressed indumentum, soon glabrous, becoming greyish, cracked and fissured, sometimes with a few lenticels. Leaves spaced or loosely clustered at the shoot apex, spirally arranged, 4.7-14 × 2.5-6.1 cm, usually broadly oblanceolate or obovate, less frequently elliptic, apex obtuse, rounded or emarginate, base broadly to narrowly attenuate, slightly decurrent, chartaceous to coriaceous, glabrous, venation brochidodromous or less frequently eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly raised on the upper surface, secondary veins 7-10 pairs, parallel to convergent, arcuate, often slightly raised on the upper surface, prominent below; intersecondaries small to long; tertiaries forming a lax reticulum. Petiole 3-7 mm long, not channelled, glabrous. Fascicles axillary and in the axils of fallen leaves, 3-10-flowered. Pedicel 1-2.5 mm long, with scattered appressed indumentum. Flowers unisexual (plant dioecious and ? bisexual). Sepals five, 2.5-3 mm long, broadly ovate, apex rounded or obtuse, with scattered appressed hairs outside, sericeous inside. Corolla 3-4 mm long, tube 2-3 mm long, lobes five, ca. 1 mm long, broadly oblong, apex truncate, glabrous. Stamens fixed in the lower half of the corolla tube or at about halfway; filaments 1.5-2.5 mm long, geniculate or not, glabrous; anthers 0.9-1 mm long, lanceolate to elliptic, glabrous; stamens absent in female flowers. Staminodes five, 0.25-0.75 mm long, subulate, glabrous. Ovary globose, five-locular, densely strigose; style 1.5-2.5 mm long after anthesis, glabrous, style-head simple. Fruit 2.3-3.5 cm long, globose, apex and base rounded, smooth, glabrous, often with a paler lenticellate patch at the apex. Seeds several, 1.3-1.5 cm long, laterally compressed, testa smooth, shiny, 0.5-0.75 mm thick; scar adaxial, extending most of the length of the seed, 1-1.25 mm wide; embryo, with thin foliaceous cotyledons and exserted radicle, surrounded by copious endosperm. Field characters. Tree to 40 m high and 90 cm diam., sometimes buttressed. The bark is greyish to red-brown, fissured or scaling, with milky white sap. Flowers greenish-white to greenish-yellow, fruit yellow, with white sap. Flowering and fruiting both occur throughout the year.
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Discussion
The latex has been used for adulterating chicle (Venezuela: Bolívar); the timber is hard, resistant to decay and used locally for posts, and the fruit is edible and sweet, with a flavour like caimito (C. cainito).
Distribution and Ecology: The Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia to central Amazonian Brazil, and Peru. Generally a species of mixed lowland rainforest over sand or clay; present in morabukea forest and greenheart forest in Guyana, and at 600-700 m altitude in cloud forest in Bolivar, Venezuela (Steyermark 88542).
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Common Names
Abiurana, balata jaune d’oeuf, capurillo, felipe pena, haimara kushi, limonabali, paripiballi, punte, purguillo
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Distribution
Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Peru South America| Guyana South America| Bolivar Guyana South America| Venezuela South America|