Platonia

For other uses, see Platonia (disambiguation).

"Pacuri" redirects here. For the village of Păcuri in Prahova County, Romania, see Surani, Prahova.

Platonia insignis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Clusiaceae
Subfamily:	Clusioideae
Tribe:	Platonieae
Genus:	Platonia
Species:	P. insignis
Binomial name
Platonia insignis Mart.
Synonyms
Aristoclesia esculenta Stuntz Moronobea esculenta Platonia esculenta (Arruda) Rickett & Stafleu

Platonia insignis, the sole species of the genus Platonia, is a tree of the family Clusiaceae native to South America in the humid forests of Brazil, Paraguay, parts of Colombia and northeast to Guyana; specially in Amazon Rainforest. Common names include Bacuri (and numerous variant spellings thereof; Bacurí, Bacury, Bakuri, Pacuri, Pakuri, Pakouri, Packoeri, Pakoeri), Maniballi, Naranjillo and Bacurizeiro.

There was a degree of nomenclatural confusion, caused by Moronobea esculenta. If that were validly published and were to apply to this species the correct name would be Platonia esculenta. Recently this has been cleared up: it has been decided that Moronobea esculenta is not a formal name (not "validly published"). The name remains Platonia insignis.

Description

Platonia insignis is a dry-season deciduous tree, reaching 25–40 m high. It has a pyramidal crown and copious yellow latex in the bark. The leaves are opposite, simple oblong to elliptic, 8–15 cm long, glossy dark green, with wavy margins and a leathery texture.

Bacuri

The Platonia insignis flowers are 5–7 cm long, pink, with five petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is round to oval, 7–14 cm long, with a thick, yellow skin, looking similar to a papaya. This rind exudes a yellow latex when pressed.^[1] The sticky white pulp, which is wrapped around the three to five seeds somewhat like a pomegranate, is fragant, with a taste that is both sweet and sour.

The white-bellied parrot P. l. leucogaster has been reported to pollinate it, making it an ornithophilous plant.^[2]

Cultivation and uses

Bacuri plantation

The bacuri is also grown for its fruit, which contains notable amounts of phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C, and is often made into various condiments and beverages. Bacuri seeds, which are brown and fairly oily, are commonly used as a home remedy to treat skin conditions. Its yellowish wood is frequently used as timber.

Chemistry

Platonia is a natural source of trioxygenated xanthones.^[3] The latex is composed of resinotol.^[4]

See also

• List of plants of Amazon Rainforest vegetation of Brazil

References

1. ^ Chemical composition of the pulp of three typical Amazonian fruits: araça-boi ( Eugenia stipitata), bacuri ( Platonia insignis) and cupuaçu ( Theobroma grandiflorum). Hervé Rogez, Raphaële Buxant, Eric Mignolet, Jesus N. S. Souza, Evaldo M. Silva and Yvan Larondelle, European Food Research and Technology, Volume 218, Number 4 / march 2004, DOI 10.1007/s00217-003-0853-6
2. ^ Cornell University Caique Glossary
3. ^ Trioxygenated naturally occurring xanthones. V. Peres and T. J. Nagem, Phytochemistry, Volume 44, Issue 2, January 1997, Pages 191-214, doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00421-9
4. ^ Platonia insignis on www.cefe.cnrs.fr

• ITIS report
• Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana: Platonia
• Bakuri

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Platonia insignis

• "Platonia insignis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=500691.