Platonia

Platonia
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.

Contents

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

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

External links

 
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Platonĭa — Platonĭa, 1) P. Kunth, Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Gramineae Bambuseae; Art: P. data, in Quito; 2) P. Mart., Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Clusiaceae Canellaceae Endl., Guttiferae Platonieae Rbch.; P. insignis (Symphonia esculenta… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Platonia —   Platonia insignis …   Wikipedia Español

  • Platonia — ID 65083 Symbol Key PLATO Common Name platonia Family Clusiaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity N/A US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution N/A Growth Habit N/A …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • PLATONIA INSIGNIS MART. - ПЛАТОНИЯ ПРИМЕЧАТЕЛЬНАЯ — см. 648. Дерево. P. insignis Mart. П. примечательная Nov. Gen. et Sp. III (1820) 169, Т. 288, 289. Popenoe (1920) 403. Lecointe (1922) 511. S у n. A ristoclesta esculenta Stuntz; Moronobea esculenta Arruda; Symphonia esculenta Steud. (pro parte) …   Справочник растений

  • Platonia esculenta — rūgščiavaisė platonija statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Kliuzijinių šeimos medieninis, vaisinis augalas (Platonia esculenta), paplitęs Pietų Amerikoje. Iš jo gaunamas vaškas. atitikmenys: lot. Aristoclesia esculenta; Moronobea esculenta;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Platonia insignis — rūgščiavaisė platonija statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Kliuzijinių šeimos medieninis, vaisinis augalas (Platonia esculenta), paplitęs Pietų Amerikoje. Iš jo gaunamas vaškas. atitikmenys: lot. Aristoclesia esculenta; Moronobea esculenta;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Platonia dilemma — In the platonia dilemma introduced in Douglas Hofstadter s book Metamagical Themas , an eccentric trillionaire gathers 20 people together, and tells them that if one and only one of them sends him a telegram (reverse charges) by noon the next day …   Wikipedia

  • Platonia (philosophy) — In Julian Barbour s book The End of Time, Platonia is the name given to his hypothetic entity of a timeless realm containing every possible Now or momentary configuration of the universe. The term can also be applied more generally to the world… …   Wikipedia

  • Platonia Mart. — Symbol PLATO Common Name platonia Botanical Family Clusiaceae …   Scientific plant list

  • Platonia esculenta — ID 65084 Symbol Key PLES Common Name bacury Family Clusiaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Cultivated, or not in the U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution N/A Growth Habit N/A …   USDA Plant Characteristics

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