Mammea americana

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Mammea >

americana >

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Read about Mammea americana in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Mammea americana, Linn. Mammee-apple. Santo Domingo Apricot. Mamey. Mamey De Santo Domingo. Abrico De Para'. Fig. 2313. A large tree, 40-60 ft. or more in height, of upright, compact growth: lvs. oblong-obovate, entire, 4-8 in. long, 2—4 in. broad, rounded or blunt at the apex, coriaceous, deep green, glossy on the upper surface, marked with numerous fine transverse, reticulated veins and pellucid dots; petiole stout, ½ in. or less in length: fls. solitary or clustered in the axils of the young shoots; petals white, fragrant; anthers oblong, laterally dehiscent: fr. globose, 3-6 in. diam., russet, seeds 1-4. A native of the W. Indies and N. S. Amer. When grown on deep rich soils, the mammee-apple attains large proportions, and is one of the most beautiful and conspicuous trees in the West Indies. Its trunk sometimes attains a diameter of 3 or 4 feet, while its dense, erect but very broad crown is of a deeper, richer shade of green than that of most other trees. The large, oblong leaves appear as if varnished. The tree is cultivated for its fruit in the West Indies as well as on the mainland of tropical America. It is successfully grown in Florida as far north as Palm Beach, and though not common, fine specimens are occasionally seen at Miami and other points. While young it is very susceptible to frost. It has never been successfully grown in the open in California, so far as known, and is probably too tender for any section of that state. The fruit is oblate to round in form, commonly 4 to 6 inches in diameter, the surface russet-colored and somewhat rough. The pliable leathery skin is 1/8 inch in thickness; if cut when green, a bright yellow mucilaginous sap exudes. Surrounding the one to four large, oval, rough seeds is the bright yellow flesh, juicy but of firm texture. The flavor is frequently compared to that of the apricot, and when the fruit is stewed or preserved the resemblance is rather striking. The pulp is sometimes sliced and served with wine, or sugar and cream, but is usually preferred by Europeans in the form of sauce, preserves or jam. The season of ripening in the West Indies is in the summer. From the fragrant white flowers a liqueur is distilled in the French West Indies which is known as eau de Creole or creme de Creole. The wood is hard and durable, and is said to be well adapted to building purposes as well as cabinet-work; it is beautifully grained and takes a high polish. The resinous gum obtained from the bark is used to extract chigoes from the feet. Propagation is usually by seeds, which germinate readily if planted in light sandy loam. While the tree prefers a rich well-drained soil, it succeeds remarkably well on the shallow sandy soil, underlaid with soft limestone, of the Florida east coast. Seedlings exhibit considerable variation, and do not, as a rule, come into bearing under six or seven years of age. Some asexual method should be utilized to propagate desirable varieties; inarching succeeds with the mangosteen, and should be applicable to this plant as well; budding might also be successful, performed as with the mango. Through selection of seedlings the fruit could be greatly improved; as an example, a seedling is known in the Isle of Pines in which the flesh separates readily from the seeds, although it normally adheres very closely. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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