Purple mombin
Spondias purpurea

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 4-10 m high. It has an irregular trunk and broad crown. Often it is low and sprawling. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are made up of 5-12 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 2-4 cm long and they fall before flowering. The flowers are red and in groups 3-5 cm long. They are on the small branches. The fruit are small and red and sub-acid. They are round or oval and 2.5-5 cm long. They often grow in clusters of three. The fruit is edible. The fruit has a woody kernel which contains the seed. The flesh is creamy-yellow.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It suits the hot tropical lowlands. It grows naturally in tropical America. It is resistant to drought. It will produce on poor soils. They grow from sea level to 1,200 m altitude in Mexico.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Amazon, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil, Central America (country/location of origin), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guiana, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Mexico (country/location of origin), Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South America, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh or cooked or for jelly. It is used for drinks. The stone or kernel can be roasted and eaten. The leaves are cooked and eaten.

It is a cultivated food plant. Fruit are sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds, nuts, root

How it is grown

Seeds do not normally grow. Plants are grown by cuttings and stem sprouts. Straight cuttings 6 cm thick and 1.5 m long are used. The cuttings are made at the start of leaf production. The cuttings are kept in the shade for a couple of weeks. They are then planted 8 m apart and at a depth of 30 cm. Flowers bud on the current year's growth so pruning can be done yearly. Pruning increases the size and weight of fruit.

The fruit matures in about 120 days.

Its other names

Local names

Abal-ac, Ateyaxocotl, Beelati amra, Caja, Ciriguela, Ciruela, Ciruela colorado, Ciruelo, Hog-plum, Jamaican plum, Jocote, Jogo tain, Obito, Ovo, Pahara, Red mombin, Rum, Seriguela, Siniguelas, Spanish-plum, Walak

Synonyms

Spondias mombin L. (1759) non L. (1753); Spondias cirouella Tussac; Spondias crispula Beurl.; Spondias macrocarpa Engl.; Spondias mexicana S. Watson; Spondias mombin Descourt; Spondias myrobalanus L.; Warmingia macrocarpa Engl.; Warmingia pauciflora Engl.;