Caimitillo, Caimito
Micropholis egensis

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 40 m high. The trunk is 60 cm across. Large trees can have buttresses. The young shoots have a few fine hairs. The bark becomes pale, cracked and scaly. The leaves are spaced and mostly alternate. They are 9-20 cm long by 3-9 cm wide. They are oval. The leaf stalk is 0.3-1.5 cm long. The flowers are of one sex with both flowers on one tree. They occur in tufts of 3-15 flowers in the axils of leaves. The flowers are yellowish-green. The fruit is 2.5-3 cm long. The fruit matures reddish, purple or black. It is narrowly oval. The fruit are edible. There is one seed. It is 2-2.7 cm long.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is normally in flooded forest. It is usually below 500 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Panama, Peru, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Abiurana, Aicutimiuswjw, Bakoeman, Cajou, Kiemboto, Kimboto, Lagarto moona, Manigowe, Quinilla, Sapote yacu, Shakashak yaas

Synonyms

Bumelia egensis Poepp ex A. DC.; Micropholis martiana Pierre; Micropholis ulei (Krause) Eyma; Micropholis wurdackii Aubreville; Pouteria egensis (A DC.) Baehni; Pouteria setosa Baehni; Pouteria ulei (Krause) Baehni; Sideroxylon egense A. de Candolle; Sideroxylon quinilla Standl. ex L. O. Williams; Sideroxylon rugosum Roemer & Schultes var. egense (A DC.) Miquel; Sideroxylon ulei Krause;