Alofachi-boiti, Excellent pouteria
Pouteria egregia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows up to 40 m high. The trunk can be 90 cm across. The buttresses are 2.5 m high. The young shoots have small hairs. The bark is rough and grey. The leaves are spaced. The are arranged in spirals. The leaves are 5-9 cm long by 2.5-3.3 cm wide. They are fattened sword shaped. There are 14-21 pairs of secondary veins. The leaves are pale green underneath. The leaf stalk is 3-9 mm long. The flowers occur in tufts of 5-15 in the axils and below the leaves. The flowers are of one sex. The separate sexes are on separate trees. The fruit are 1.8-2.7 cm long. The fruit become yellow to dull orange when ripe. The fruit is edible. There is one or occasionally 2 seeds. The seeds are 1.4-1.8 cm long.

There are about 150-320 Pouteria species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland rainforest on non flooded land. It can grow up to 800 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Abiu-pitomba, Alofachi-boiti, Cururu, Iratawa'y, Jaouri'a'y, Kleinbladig zwart riemhout, Kokeritiballi, Kokoritiballi, Pulgillo, Pulgillo amarillo, Purguillo, Purgillo aramillo

Synonyms

Sandwithiodoxa egregia (Sandwich) Aubreville & Pell.;