Elliptic salacia
Salacia elliptica

Family: Celastraceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 8-10 m high. The trunk is 40-50 cm across. It is short and crooked. The crown is dense and low. The leaves are opposite. They are 10-12 cm long by 6-8 cm wide. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. There are 9-12 flowers in a group. They are white. The fruit is almost round and 3-4 cm across. There are 3-6 oval seeds.

There are about 25 Salacia species in tropical America. They are also put in the family Hippocrataceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in northeastern Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Belize, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh.

Because it is difficult to remove the pulp from the seeds the fruit are less popular.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

The plants are grown by seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and allowed to soften in a plastic bag then the seeds removed in running water. The seeds germinate in 50-60 days.

Its other names

Local names

Ai, Bacupari, Bacupari-da-mata, Fruta-de-macaco, Gogo dulce, Guago, Guapobo, Guapomo, Huapamu, Mats'i, Nexo querimati, O-mutachene-s, Otusto, Saputa, Siputa, Siputa arboreo, Sitoba, Tapicuru, Vapomo

Synonyms

Anthodon ellipticum Mart.; Anthodon ellipticus Mart. ex Schult.; Anthodon oblongifolius Mart. ex Schult.; Raddia elliptica (Mart. ex Schult.) Miers; Raddia fasciculata Miers; Raddia firmifolia Miers; Raddia lacunosa Miers; Raddia oblongifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) Miers; Salacia elliptica var. apiculata Peyr.; Salacia elliptica var. genuina Peyr.; Salacia elliptica var. oblongifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) Peyr.; Salacia erythroxyloides Cambess.; Salacia guianensis Klotzsch; Salacia lacunosa (Miers) Peyr.; Salacia oblongifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) G.Don; Salacia obtusifolia Cambess.; Salacia obtusifolia var. parviflora Cambess.; Tonsella elliptica (Mart. ex Schult.) Spreng.; Tonsella oblongifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) Spreng.; Tontelea elliptica (Mart. ex Schult.) Spreng. ex B.D.Jacks. Tontelea erythroxyloides (Cambess.) Endl. ex Walp.; Tontelea guianensis Klotzsch; Tontelea oblongifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) Spreng. ex B.D.Jacks.; Tontelea obtusifolia (Cambess.) Endl. ex Walp.;