- Sapodilla
Taxobox
name = Sapodilla
image_width = 240px
image_caption = Sapodilla tree
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Ericales
familia =Sapotaceae
genus = "Manilkara "
species = "M. zapota"
binomial = "Manilkara achras"
binomial_authority = (L.) P. RoyenSapodilla ("Manilkara zapota") is a long-lived,
evergreen tree native to theNew World tropics. It is a native ofMexico and was introduced to thePhilippines during Spanish colonisation.Description
Sapodilla grows to 30-40 m tall. It is wind-resistant and the bark is rich in a white, gummy
latex calledchicle .The ornamental leaves are medium green and glossy. They are alternate, elliptic to ovate, 7-15 cm long, with an entire margin.
The white
flower s are inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla.The
fruit is a large globoseberry , 4-8 cm in diameter, very much resembling a smooth-skinnedpotato and containing 2-10seed s. Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripenedpear .The flavour is exceptionally sweet and very tasty. The fruit's flavor has been compared to
cotton candy orcaramel . The unripe fruit is hard to the touch and contains high amounts ofsaponin similar totannin which dry out the mouth.The seeds are black and resemble
bean s, with a hook at one end that can catch in the throat if swallowed.The sapodilla trees yield
fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round. The fruit has a high latex content and does not ripen until picked. Some are round and some are oval with pointed ends.Other Names
Sapodilla was formerly often known by the invalid name "Achras sapota". It is known as "chikoo" or "sapota" in
India , "sofeda " in Eastern India &Bangladesh , "chikoo" (also spelled "chikku," "चिक्कू," "chiku," "चीकू," or "ciku") inSouth Asia andPakistan , "chico" in thePhilippines , "sawo" inIndonesia , "ciku" inMalaysia , "hồng xiêm" ("xa pô chê") inVietnam , sapodilla inGuyana sapodilla or "rata-mi" inSri Lanka , "lamoot" (ละมุด) inThailand andCambodia , "níspero" inColombia ,Nicaragua ,El Salvador ,Dominican Republic andVenezuela , "nípero" inCuba andDominican Republic , dilly inthe Bahamas , naseberry in the rest of theWest Indies , and "sapoti" inBrazil . In Kelantanese Malay, the fruit is called "sawo nilo" which is closer to the original name than the standard Malay "ciku".ee also
*
Black sapote
*Mamey sapote External links and references
* [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/sapodilla.html CRFG Publications: Sapodilla]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sapodilla.html Sapodilla]
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