Moquilea platypus | |
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Trunk of a large Moquilea platypus tree | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Chrysobalanaceae |
Genus: | Moquilea |
Species: | M. platypus |
Binomial name | |
Moquilea platypus Hemsl. (1879) | |
Synonyms | |
Moquilea platypus, also known as sun sapote, sansapote, and monkey apple, is a flowering tree in the family Chrysobalanaceae. [2] The specific epithet (platypus) is Neo-Latin for "flat-footed".
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dietary fiber | 0.9-2.5 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.26-0.49 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.230-0.291 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Water | 64.6-67.4 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [3] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [4] |
Moquilea platypus has many common names across its native range, including sonzapote, sunzapote, sungano, zapote cabelludo, sapote, sangre, zapote amarillo, zapote borracho, zapote cabello, zapote de mico, zapote de mono, mesonsapote, mezonzapote, cabeza de mico, caca de nino, sonza, sunza, zunza, chaute jolobob, urraco, and chupa. [2]
Moquilea platypus is native to southern Mexico south to northern Colombia and grows wild in dense forests up to 2,000 feet (610 meters) in elevation. It has been introduced to India, [5] the Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, Florida, and Hawaii. [2]
The tree grows erect, sometimes reaching 100–160 feet (30–49 meters) in height. It has a thick, rounded crown and is heavily foliaged. The bark is dark purplish to brown in color and is dotted with small white to reddish-white lenticels. The trunk is sometimes buttressed. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, sometimes spiraled, and elliptic to lanceolate in shape. They are pointed at both ends and measure 4–12 inches (10–30 centimeters) in length and 1.25–3.5 inches (3.2–8.9 centimeters) in width, and have thick midribs. New foliage is bronze or reddish-purple in color and is very showy. The flowers, which are abundant and fragrant and are in broad terminal and branched panicles which measure 4–14 inches (10–36 centimeters) in length, are small and hairy and have recurved petals with numerous protruding stamens. Only 1–3 fruits form from each particle. The fruit is edible and is obovoid to pyriform in shape and measures 5–8 inches (13–20 centimeters) in length and 4–5.5 inches (10–14 centimeters) in width. It has a rather thin, sometimes warty rind which is dark brown to reddish in color and dotted with white lenticels. The flesh is orange-yellow to yellow in color, somewhat pumpkin-scented, soft, fibrous, and dry or juicy, and is said to have a mildly sweet flavor somewhat similar to sapodilla. It normally contains 1 seed which is ovate to oblong and flattened in shape and measures 2.375–4 inches (6.03–10.16 centimeters) in length. It blooms from July to September and fruits from August to December the following year. [2] Fruiting begins when the tree is about 10 years of age. [6] It is hardy to USDA zone 11 and does not tolerate frost or temperatures below 4.5 °C (40.1 °F). [7]
Moquilea platypus is surprisingly drought tolerant compared to that of many other species native to central Panama. Experiments with 15-month-old seedlings showed slight wilting corresponding to leaf water potentials and relative water contents of −2.7 MPa and 0.85, and plants did not die until these values fell to −7.5 MPa and 0.14. [8]
The tree is planted as an ornamental and shade tree throughout Central America. The fruits, although held in low esteem, are eaten when no better fruits are available and are sometimes sold in local markets. They are eaten by tapirs and peccaries when fallen on the ground. The wood of the tree is fine-grained, heavy, and strong, although not durable in contact with the ground. It is sometimes used in furniture making and cabinetwork, although not often as the tree is seldom felled. [2]
Tamarind is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae.
Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy fruit.
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as 55 kg in weight, 90 cm in length, and 50 cm in diameter. A mature jackfruit tree produces some 200 fruits per year, with older trees bearing up to 500 fruits in a year. The jackfruit is a multiple fruit composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and the fleshy petals of the unripe fruit are eaten.
The pomelo, from the family Rutaceae, is the largest citrus fruit, and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefruit, the pomelo is commonly consumed and used for festive occasions throughout Southeast Asia and East Asia. As with the grapefruit, phytochemicals in the pomelo have the potential for drug interactions.
Myrciaria dubia, commonly known as camu-camu, caçari, araçá-d'água, or camocamo, is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a small bushy riverside tree from the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil, which grows to a height of 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) and bears a red/purple cherry-like fruit. It is a close relative of the false jaboticaba and the guavaberry or rumberry. As much as 2 to 3% of the fresh fruit by weight is vitamin C.
Manilkara zapota, commonly known as sapodilla, sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or soapapple, among other names, is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán, in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species. It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in large quantities in Mexico and in tropical Asia, including India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, as well as in the Caribbean.
Basella alba is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. It is naturalized in China, tropical Africa, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, the West Indies, Fiji and French Polynesia.
Byrsonima crassifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malpighiaceae, native to tropical America. Common names used in English include nance, maricao cimun, craboo, and golden spoon. In Jamaica it is called hogberry.
Ziziphus mauritiana, also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinee apple, ber and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Chinese jujube, but whereas Z. jujuba prefers temperate climates, Z. mauritiana is tropical to subtropical.
The ilama or ilama tree is a tropical fruit tree found in Central America. The name is derived from the Nahuatl ilamatzapotl, of which the rough translation is "old woman's sapote". The name is also applied to a similar fruit, soncoya or cabeza de negro.
Pouteria sapota, the mamey sapote, is a species of tree native to Mexico and Central America. The tree is also cultivated in the Caribbean. Its fruit is eaten in many Latin American countries. The fruit is made into foods such as milkshakes and ice cream.
Diospyros nigra, the black sapote, is a species of persimmon. Common names include chocolate pudding fruit, black soapapple and zapote prieto. The tropical fruit tree is native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. The common name sapote refers to any soft, edible fruit. Black sapote is not related to white sapote nor mamey sapote. The genus Diospyros has numerous other fruit bearing tree species in addition to the persimmons and black sapote.
Microdesmia rigida, the oiticica, is a species of plant in the family Chrysobalanaceae. It is endemic to Brazil. The oiticica grows deep in floods of rivers and streams, forming long, narrow avenues to the edge of ravines or floodplains staining the dark-green color of its large and dense foliage.
Passiflora maliformis, the sweet calabash, conch apple, wild purple passionfruit, or sweet cup, is a smallish passionfruit with purple, yellow or green skin and a greyed-yellow to orange pulp that is aromatically scented and flavoured. It is a fast-growing vine, growing best in somewhat cooler-than-tropical climates. The rind is particularly hard and tougher than most passionfruits. It is usually eaten fresh or used to flavour drinks. It is a native to the Caribbean, Central America and Northern South America.
Pouteria viridis is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapotaceae known by the common name green sapote.
Cucumis prophetarum is a dioecious and prostrate or climbing perennial vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. The specific epithet (prophetarum) comes from Latin propheta, meaning "prophet".
Couepia polyandra, also known as olosapo, zapote amarillo, baboon cap, and monkey cap, is a flowering tree in the family Chrysobalanaceae.
Calamus erectus, also known as viagra palm and locally as tynriew, tara, and zhi li sheng teng, is a flowering shrub in the family Arecaceae. The specific epithet (erectus) refers to the plant's habit of growing straight rather than creeping or climbing like many species of the genus Calamus.
Litsea garciae, also known as engkala, engkalak, kangkala, pangalaban and Borneo avocado, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lauraceae and genus Litsea. It is native to Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.
Parmentiera aculeata, commonly known as cow okra, cuajilote, guajilote, huachilote, or pepino kat, is a species of flowering tree in the family Bignoniaceae. It is native to Mexico and Central America and is known primarily for its edible fruit and medicinal properties.