Mato-olho, Sarandi
Pouteria salicifolia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 4-8 m high. The trunk is 15-25 cm across. The bark is grey-brown and splits. It flakes off in small rectangular pieces. The leaves are in spirals. The leaves are narrowly oval and 5-20 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit is oval with a long beak. It has 1-2 seeds in a sweet pulp.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in interior forests that occasionally flood in Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Brazil (country/location of origin), South America, Uruguay

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit that have fallen and been allowed to partly decompose in a heap to make removing the seeds easier. These are then washed and planted while fresh. Seedlings emerge in 50-70 days.

Plants grow at a moderate rate.

Its other names

Local names

Sarandi-mata-olho

Synonyms

Lucuma neriifolia Hook. & Arn.; Lucuma sellowii A.DC.; Pouteria neriifolia (Hook. & Arn.) Radlk.; Pouteria sellowii (A. DC.) Engl.; Roussea salicifolia Spreng.;