Aguai
Chrysophyllum viride

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 8-25 m tall. The crown is wide and dense. The trunk is erect and 50-70 cm across. The bark is coarse and grey. The leaves are broadly sword shaped and 5-14 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The flowers are in groups of 5-15 in the axils of the recently fallen leaves. The fruit is oval and has 2-5 flattened seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in humid forest near the Atlantic coast in Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil (country/location of origin), South America

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit by allowing the fruit to partly decompose in a heap and then washing the seeds out in running water. Seeds need to be planted fresh. Seedlings emerge in 35-50 days.

Plants grow at a moderate rate.

Its other names

Local names

Aguai-guacu, Aguaizeiro, Gual

Synonyms

Chloroma viridis (Mart. & Eichler) Aubrev.;