Curiola, Twisted pouteria
Pouteria torta

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A small to medium sized tree. It grows up to 10 m high. It can be 40 m tall. The crown is round and the trunk is grooved. The trunk is short and 30-40 cm across. The leaves are leathery. They are in groups at the tips of the stems. The leaves are 20-25 cm long. The flowers are small and red. The fruit are small and egg shaped. They are 3-7 cm across. The skin is green to brown and the flesh is soft and white.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in wet tropical rainforests in Brazil. It is often near swamps and river banks. It grows in lowlands and uplands.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia (country/location of origin), Costa Rica, Ecuador (country/location of origin), El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South America (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Fruit are eaten fresh and used in drinks and preserves.

It is a cultivated fruit tree.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and put in a heap to allow the flesh to rot. The seeds are washed out with running water. The seeds are only viable for a very short time. Fresh seed should be planted. They germinate in 25-50 days.

Plants grow quickly in the field. The fruit are picked off the ground during the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Abiu pilosa, Avio de monte, Grao-de-galo, Jaija'onasotoa, Laranjinha, Ontogamo, Pe'su toa, Piaste, Quinilla negra

Synonyms

Guapeba torta (Mart.) Pier.; Labatia oblonga Pohl. ex Miq.; Labatia torta Martius; Lucuma torta (Mart.) DC.; Lucuma tuberculata Sleumer; and others