Guiana tapirira
Tapirira guianensis

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 3-40 m high. The trunk is straight. It has buttresses. The bark is grey. The leaves are clustered near the tips of the branches. The leaves are compound with 2-5 pairs of leaflets along a stalk 5-35 cm long. They have rusty hairs. The leaflets are narrowly oval and 5-20 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. The flower panicles are in the axils of leaves near the ends of branches. The flowers are densely clustered along stalks 8-37 cm long. They are small and yellowish green. The fleshy fruit are oval and 0.5-1.5 cm long. The seed hangs from the end.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the rainforest and in the savanna.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Belize, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador (country/location of origin), French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South America, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Vanuatu, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten when ripe. They can be dried.

The fruit are especially eaten by children. It is a cultivated plant.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Acorga-yek, Camboata, Caobina, Cedrillo, Cupuba, Duka, Fresno, Fruta de pombo, Guapiruva, Huiracaspi, Isaparitsi, Jobillo, Jobo, Karanu, Nemee, Ngy re, Ook doka, Pau-pombo, Peoto-de-pomba, Piojo, Sachi chu'pi, Tapiriba, Tapiriri, Waramia, Weti-oedoe, Wiracaspi.

Synonyms

Comocladia tapaculo Kunth; Joncquetia paniculata Willd.; Mauria multiflora Mart. ex Benth.; Mauria subbijuga Mart. ex Benth.; Odina francoana Netto; Tapira bijuga Hook.f. ex Marchand; Tapira fanshawei Sandwith; Tapira guianensis var. cuneata Engl.; Tapira guianensis var. elliptica Engl.; Tapirira myriantha Triana & Planchon; Tapirira pao-pombo Marchand;