Caimitillo
Pouteria collina

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 30 m high. The trunk can be 45 cm across. It can have low buttresses. The young shoots are hairy with golden brown hairs. The leaves are spaced and arranged in spirals. The leaves are 12.5-24 cm long by 5.7-10.1 cm wide. They are broadly oval. There are 13-18 pairs of secondary veins. The leaf stalk is 1-2 cm long. The flowers have both sexes. There are 5-10 flowers in tufts below the leaves. The fruit is 4-6 cm long. They become yellow-orange when ripe. The fruit are edible. There is one seed. The seed is 3.5-4.5 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 forest near sea level. It can grow in wet forest up to 650 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Colombia, Ecuador, South America (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Caimitillon, Cartagena, Kaimitu ainki, Kuaya chapte

Synonyms

Chrysophyllum collinum Little;