Bebelama
Sideroxylon occidentale

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A densely branched shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m high. The bark is grey and cracked. The young branches have soft white hairs. There are spines at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. These are 1-1.5 cm long. The leaves are spirally arranged at first. They then form tufts on short shoots in the axils of leaves. The leaves are 1-2.7 cm long by 0.5-2.1 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. The leaf stalk is 1.5-3 mm long. The flowers contain both sexes or male and female flowers can be separate. There are 2-10 flowers together in a tuft. The flowers are whitish. They have a scent. The fruit are 0.7-1.2 cm long. There is one seed. It is 0.6-1 cm long. It has a hard, shiny, mottled seed coat. The fruit are edible.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Central America, Mexico, North America

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten fresh or dried.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Bumelia occidentalis Hemsley; Lyciodes occidentale (Hemsley)Kuntze; Bumelia fragrans Brandegee; Bumelia brandegei Blake; Bumelia cuneifolia Jones;