Guianas pouteria
Pouteria guianensis

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 35 m tall. The trunk can be 30-90 cm across. It has narrow buttresses. The twigs are stout and covered with flattened brown hairs when young. The leaves are alternate and leathery. They are narrowly oval and 13-25 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. The flowers are in tufts in the axils of leaves. There are about 6 flowers. The stalks are 0.3 cm long and have brown hairs. The fruit occur as 1 or 2 together. The fruit is a round or oval berry. It is 5 cm long by 5 cm wide. It is dark green or yellow. It has a coating when young. The pulp is firm, sweet and edible. There are 2 seeds. They are about 2 cm long by 1.5 cm wide.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in non flooded rainforest. It can grow up to 2,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela

How it is used for food

A highly esteemed fruit.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown by seeds.

In Guyana it flowers from October to December and from April to June and fruits in March and April. Sometimes it only fruits every few years.

Its other names

Local names

Asepoko, Balata, Broad leaf asepoko, Caimo, Esseboko, Jansnijder, Marapasmukri, Pepeboiti, Poyak, Redijamboka, Red tree

Synonyms

Chaetocarpus pouteria J. F. Gmel.; Krugella hartii Pierre; Labatia pedunculata Willdenow; Labatia tovarensis Engl.; Lucuma hartii Hemsl.; Lucuma psammophilla var. macrophylla Raunk. ex Warm.; Pouteria caimito var. strigosa Monach.; Pouteria cuatrecasasii Aubrev.; Pouteria demerarae Sandwith; Pouteria glazioviana Dubard; Pouteria hartii (Hemsl.) Dubard; Pouteria obidensis Huber; Pouteria pedunculata (Willd.) Poir.; Pouteria tovarensis Engl.;