Mucuri
Pouteria procera

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It loses many leaves during the year. It grows 20-40 m high. The trunk is 40-80 cm across. It has prop roots near the base. The bark is greyish-brown and splits. It flakes off in regular pieces. The leaves are arranged in spirals. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and 6-13 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The flowers are in groups near the axils of the leaves. The fruit are broadly oval and 3.5-4 cm long. The fruit are smooth and have 1-2 seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in humid forests on temporarily flooded flood plains near the Atlantic in Brazil. It grows up to 700 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Guiana, Martinique, Panama, Peru, South America, Venezuela

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 are allowed to partly decompose by putting in heaps and the seeds washed out in running water. The seeds need to be planted fresh. They should be in light shade. Seedlings emerge in 60-90 days.

Plants grow at a moderate rate.

Its other names

Local names

Abiuranda-cascada, Cacaito, Caramuri-de-varzea, Huaspo quinilla, Maparajuba, Maparajuba-vermelha, Massaranduba-de-varzeam Meegohue, Mucuri, Pitariki, Quinilla blanca, Quinilla de bajo

Synonyms

Achras buchananiifolia (Pierre) Bernardi; Calocarpum buchananiifolium (Pierre) Dubard; Calocarpum procerum (Mart.) Dubard; Lucuma excelsa A. C. Sm.; Lucuma procera Mart.; Pouteria excelsa (A. C. Sm.) Baehni; Urbanella buchananiifolia Pierre; Urbanella cuspidata (Miq.) Pierre; Urbanella excelsa (A. C. Sm.) Aubrev.; Urbanella procera (Mart.) Pierre; Vitellaria procera (Mart.) Radlk.;