Lucmo, Lucuma, Eggfruit
Pouteria lucuma

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree 8-17 m high. It can spread 6-10 m across. It has many branches. The leaves are alternate. They are oblong or sword shaped. They are 25 cm long by 10 cm across. The fruit are round or oval and green. The pulp is bright yellow. There are some named cultivated varieties.

There are about 150-320 Pouteria species. They grow in the tropics. Fruit are high in folates 42μg/100. NB query this record for Timor.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is subtropical and grows at 3,000 to 3,300 m altitude in Peru. It can be between 500-2,500 m. It can tolerate frost and grow in cooler climates. It can adapt to drier conditions. It grows in regions with 1,000-1,800 mm rain per year. The temperatures are 20-22°C.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andes, Bolivia, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, East Timor, Ecuador, Hawaii, Indochina, Laos, Mexico, North America, Peru, Philippines, SE Asia, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, Timor-Leste, USA, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh or used to make ice-cream. They are also used for puddings and cakes. It can be dried and stored as a flour.

The fruit is popular in South America. They are sold in markets. It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are usually grown from seed.

Fruit fall and then need to be stored for a few days before fully ripe. Fruit are produced around the year. Fruit can weigh 1 kg. The fruit are easily storeable.

Its other names

Local names

Eivrucht, Lucma, Lucumo, Mamon, Queo, Rucma, Teissa

Synonyms

Achras lucuma Ruiz & Pav.; Lucuma bifera Mol.; Lucuma biflora J. F. Gmel.; Lucuma obovata Kunth; Lucuma turbinata Molina; Pouteria insignis Baehni; Pouteria obovata HBK; Richardella lucuma (R & P) Aubreville;