Pouteria
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Pouteria > |
Read about Pouteria in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Lucuma (Peruvian name of one species). Sapotaceae. A group of tropical trees and shrubs, several of which are cultivated, principally in America, for their edible fruits. Other well-known trees which belong to the same family are the sapodilla (Achras Sapota) and the star-apple (Chrysophyllum Cainito), both of which resemble the lucumas in having fruits with soft, melting flesh of very sweet flavor. The genus is characterized by lvs. more or less elongate, usually broadened upward; by the imbricate calyx, with lobes in 1 or 2 series: and by the tubular corolla, with stamens opposite the lobes, alternating with the staminodes. The fr. is a berry, 2-10-celled, the seeds exalbuminous.—Species perhaps 60, mostly in Amer. but extending to New Guinea and Austral. In addition to the above may be mentioned the jacana, or hakana, of Porto Rico (L. multiflora, DC.), with oblong or globose frs. 1 ½ -2 in. diam., and sweet, mealy, yellow, edible pulp resembling in appearance the yolk of an egg, inclosing 1-3 seeds. Another noteworthy species is L. obovata, HBK., the "lucuma" of Peru and N. Chile, with fr. about the size and shape of a small orange, containing yellow pulp of excellent quality surrounding 1 to several seeds and inclosed in a thin, bright, dark green skin. According to W. E. Safford, specimens of this fr. usually divided into halves, and of the glossy subglobose seeds, are frequently found in prehistoric graves of the coast tribes of Peru, and facsimiles of the fr. in the form of terra-cotta vases are also dug up with Peruvian mummies. L. Palmeri, Fern., is listed in S. Calif.: shrub, to 10 ft., with reddish brown bark on young branches: lvs. dark green, oblanceolate or narrow-obovate: fls. in 2s or 3s or solitary, the corolla twice as long as calyx; stamens and staminodia inserted at top of corolla-tube: fr. over 1 in. long, yellow. Mex. L. salicifolia, HBK., has proved hardy at Santa Barbara: lvs. 5-7 in. long and 1 in. wide, lanceolate, somewhat acuminate, entire and shining: fls. yellowish green, in 2s or 3s, axillary; ovary hirsute, ovate; style about equaling the corolla. Mex. L. Sellowii,A. DC. Lvs. linear or linear-lanceolate, acute, entire or somewhat repand, shining, the young ones tomentose: fls. on solitary or twin axillary pedicels, the corolla tubular, the calyx-lobes and corolla-lobes 4: drupe oblong, size of a pigeon's egg, beaked. Brazil. R.H. 1900, pp. 33, 34. The most important member of the genus is without doubt L. mammosa, the mamey sapote, a common fruit in Cuba, and not infrequently seen on the Central American mainland. It can be grown in extreme south Florida, though it does not seem to thrive on shallow calcareous soils. California has so far proved too cool for it, and no trees of any size are known in the state. It is said to prefer a deep, rich soil and a rainfall of about 70 inches per annum. The fruit is commonly elliptical, and about 6 inches in length. Within the thick woody skin, somewhat rough and rusty brown on the surface, is the soft melting flesh, of a beautiful reddish salmon color, and of about the same consistency as a ripe canteloupe. The large elliptical seed can be lifted out of the fruit as easily as that of an avocado; it is hard, brown and shining, except on the ventral surface, which is whitish and somewhat rough. To one unaccustomed to tropical fruits, the flavor of the mamey sapote is at first somewhat cloying because of its utter lack of acidity; when made into a sherbet, however, as is done in Havana, it is delicious and sure to be relished at first trial. Although natives of tropical countries commonly eat the fruit while fresh, it is also made into marmalade, or used as a "filler" in making guava cheese. The Cubans prepare from it a thick jam, known as crema de mamey colorado, which is delicious. The fruits are picked when mature, and laid away in a cool place to ripen, which takes about a week. If shipped as soon as picked from the tree they can be sent to northern markets without difficulty, and are occasionally exported from Cuba and Mexico to the United States. The season of ripening is during the summer; in Costa Rica the tree is said to lose its foliage in the dry season, flowering at the same time. The seed contains a large oily kernel, which has a strong smell and a bitter taste. According to Pittier, it is used in Costa Rica, after being finely ground, to prepare an exquisite confection; the same authority states that it is sometimes used by the Indians, after being boiled, roasted and ground, to mix with cacao, imparting a bitter taste to the beverage. The foliage of the mamey sapote resembles that of the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), except in its lighter color and entire margins. Propagation is by seed, young trees coming into bearing at the age of five to seven years. Before planting it is well to remove the hard outer husk from the seed; it is then easily germinated by planting in light, sandy loam, barely covering it with soil. The ti-es (L. nervosa) is esteemed in Cuba, where it is called canistel, and is also popular among many of the residents of southern Florida. It is too tender to be grown in California, unless in the most sheltered locations. Unlike the mamey sapote, the tree succeeds on thin poor soils, and seems to be at home on the Florida keys. Its season, in Florida, is from December to March. The fruits when ripe are broadly oval to round, orange-yellow in color, commonly about 3 inches in length, and produced upon short stems toward the ends of the branches. The flesh is dry and sometimes mealy in texture, bright orange-yellow, often likened to the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, which it greatly resembles in appearance but not in taste. The flavor is sweet and rather cloying, to the novice at least, while the aroma is peculiar and somewhat musky. The seeds are one to three in number, oval, about an inch in length, hard, dark brown and shining, except on the ventral surface, which is dull, pale brown. The fruits usually require several days to soften after being picked from the tree, and as the skin is soft and delicate they do not ship so well as those of the mamey sapote. This species is not put to many different uses, the fruit usually being eaten while fresh. The tree is ornamental in appearance, with bright green, glossy foliage, and rarely grows to a height of more than 20 feet. It is usually propagated by seeds, young plants requiring three to five years to come into bearing. The hard outer husk should be removed from the seed before planting. The abiu of tropical Brazil (L. Caimito), greatly resembles the ti-es in growth and foliage, but is easily distinguished by its light yellow fruit, with translucent, whitish, rather juicy flesh, of less cloying flavor than that of the ti-es. The abiu is very popular among the Brazilians, and is commonly cultivated at Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and other points along the coast. The fruits vary from 2 to 4 inches in length, are usually ovate in form, and have a thick, closely adhering skin, within which lies the soft and melting flesh and two or three large oval seeds. It must be fully ripe to be appreciated; if cut while still firm, a milky latex exudes which is sticky and objectionable in the mouth, while the fruit has a strong taste of tannin. The same is true of other species. The tree, called abiero in Portuguese, thrives on a rich clay loam, with an abundance of moisture, and is propagated by seed. Little has been done to improve any of the lucumas. There is much variation among seedlings, not only in size and quality of fruit, but in productiveness and other characters as well. The best ones should be selected and propagated by some vegetative means, such as budding.
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| Exposure: | ☼ | ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property. |
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| Water: | ◍ | ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property. |
Read about Pouteria in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Pouteria (native name). Sapotaceae. Trees or shrubs with small often short-peduncled fls. in clusters: corolla with 4 rounded lobes and a tube about twice as long; staminodes free, petal-like, borne at the edge of the tube; stamens borne at the base or middle of the tube, becoming free: ovary swollen at base, hairy, 2-4-celled, gradually produced into the long style: fr. a 1-4-seeded berry, hairy or glabrous, occasionally pointed.—About 30 species in Trop. Amer. P. suavis, Hemsl. Tree with rather slender flowering branches: lvs. crowded at the ends of the branches, narrow-oblong to lanceolate, about 4 in. long, coriaceous: fls. very small in fascicles borne in the axils of the fallen lvs. : fr. pear-shaped with a thin edible pericarp possessing a delicate perfume. Uruguay. Intro, into gardens abroad. CH
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Pouteria. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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