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Pouteria sapota

Authority	(Jacq.) H. More & Stearn
Family
Synonyms
Common names	grosse sapote, mamey colorado, mamey zapoteo, mammee zapote, marmalade plum, sapota grande, sapote, unique', zapota grande, zapote
Editor
Ecocrop code	8917

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A medium-sized evergreen or deciduous tree reaching 20-30 m or sometimes even 40 in height, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m in diameter. The crown has thick branches and dense foliage. The leaves are ovate or lanceolate. The fruit can have different shapes, may weigh 0.5-3 kg and has a hard skin of a dull, reddish colour. USES The fruit can be eaten fresh or be used to make jams, ice-creams and sauces. When cooked it can be used as a used as a substitute for apple puree and may also be used in confectionery. An oil extracted from the seeds has medicinal properties and can be used to fix paintings on handicrafts. The seeds can be milled and used in confectioneries. The sap from the bark and green fruits is irritant the the eyes and skin, but it also has medicinal properties. The timber can be used for furniture, carts and other objects. It is used as a shade tree for coffee. KILLING TEMP Young trees are injured by frost while mature trees may withstand -2°C for short periods. GROWING PERIOD Perennial, with the first harvest 7-8 years from planting. COMMON NAMES Sapote, Mamey sapote, Mamme sapote, Marmalade plum, Marmalade fruit, Mammee, Sapotier, Grosse sapote, Mamey colorado, Mamey zapote, Mamey colorado, Zapote grande, Zapote, Grosse sapote, Tzapotl, Chico-mamey, Ciko mama, Tru'ng ga. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: Calocarpum mammosum, C. sapota, Lucuma mammosa. Sapote is native to the humid lowlands of Central America and southern Mexico. It is a tree of the lowland tropics and can be grown at elevations between sea level and 1000 m or rarely up to 1400 m. Even short dry periods may cause shedding of leaves.
Sources
SOURCES (P. sapota (Jacq.) H. Moore & Stearn) Popenoe W 1974 pp 340-343 [TEXT, PH] Samson J 1986 pp 303 Roecklein J 1987 pp 237 [USE] Duke J 1979 pp 106 Duke J 1975 pp 25 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Rice R 1990 pp 130-132 [KTMP, TEXT, DRA] Bermejo J 1994 pp 103-109 [USE, TEXT, DRA, DEP, FER, TEMP, RAIN] Verheij E 1991 pp 259-262 [USE, KTMP, TEXT, DRA, FER]