South American sapote
Matisia cordata

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows to 20-30 m high. It can grow to 50 m. The trunk is 50-90 cm across. The branches are almost horizontal. The leaves are simple and alternate. It loses some of its leaves during the year. The leaves are heart shaped and a deep green colour. They have long leaf stalks. The leaves are crowded near the ends of twigs and branches. They are 20-25 cm long. The flowers are creamy-yellow. They have unusual, long stamen columns. The flowers are on the branches and trunk. The fruit is large and elliptical. It is flattened and brown, with a nipple at the end. The fruit is round and 7-15 cm long by 5-15 cm wide. The skin is an olive green colour and leathery. The pulp is orange-yellow and sweet. It is fibrous. The seeds are 2-4 cm long. There are 2-5 seeds inside.

Also put in the family Bombacaceae. In the subfamily Bombacoideae. It has 2,400 micrograms of carotene per 100 g of pulp.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It is native to NW South America. It grows in humid tropical and subtropical regions. It suits areas with lots of rain. It can grow in soils which are occasionally flooded. It grows in regions with 1,500-4,000 mm rain per year. It grows in rainforest areas on fertile soils. It grows naturally in the upper Amazon regions of Peru, Brazil and Ecuador. In the Andes it grows between 500-1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Andes, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia (country/location of origin), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Peru (country/location of origin), Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw or stewed to make drinks. They can be used to extract starch.

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

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are collected fro ripe fruit and the pulp removed by allowing them to partly decompose then washing under running water. Seed should be planted fresh. They are best in light shade. Seedlings emerge in 20-30 days.

Plants grow rapidly. Trees 5 years old can produce fruit. Between 700-1,000 fruit can be produced per tree. A fruit weighs between 300-400 g. Fruit mature in 270-300 days.

Its other names

Local names

Apashi, Apasi, Bocanhue, Chupa-chupa, Cordate matisia, Mame colorado, Matisia, Menehue, Naso apashi, Numiollamihe, Patintoqui, Sapote de monte, Sapote-do-salimoes, Sapote muyo, Sapote Sapotillo, Saput, Zapote de monte

Synonyms

Matisia cordata Bonpl.; Quararibea cordata (Bonpl.) Garcia-Barr. & Hern.Cam. [Illegitimate]; Quararibea cordata (Bonpl.) Vischer;