Sun sapote
Licania platypus

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 30-50 m tall. It has a rounded crown. The bark is brown with white dots. It can have buttresses. It loses it leaves during the year. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped. They are 10-30 cm long and 3-9 cm wide. Young leaves are red. The flowers are in large branched groups at the ends of branches. These are 10-35 cm long. They have a strong scent. The fruit is large, oval and brown. They are 15 cm long. It has orange sweet flesh. It has one large seed. The seed can be 6-10 cm long.

There are 214 Licania species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowland tropics. It is best with a seasonally dry period.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Australia, Belize, Central America (country/location of origin), Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Philippines, SE Asia, South America

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh.

It is important locally in Central America.

Edible parts

Fruit, bark

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Fruit are produced 10 years after planting seeds. Fruit matures in about 250 days. A fruit can weigh 900 g.

Its other names

Local names

Acchisht-jaca, Cabeza de mico, Caca de nino, Caimopiedra, Chanu, Chupa, Gue-lau, Hoja tostada, Huicume, Itzampi, Mesonzapote, Sabo, Sansapote, Sangre, Sonzapote, Sungano, Sunza, Tzonzapotl, Zapote borracho, Zapote de mico,Zapote mechudo, Zunza

Synonyms

Moquilea platypus Hemsl.;