Pouteria speciosa

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

Many species, such as Pouteria sapota, have edible fruits and are important foods, seasonally. Some are being commercially collected and sold on local markets or packed in cans. Pouteria species yield hard, heavy, resilient woods used as firewood and timber, but particularly in outdoor and naval construction, such as dock pilings, deckings, etc. Some species, such as abiu (P. caimito), are considered to be shipworm resistant, but this depends on the silica content, which may vary from 0.0-0.9%. The weight by volume (at 12% moisture content) of Pouteria wood can be in excess of 1140 kg/m3 (71 lb/ft3; thus, the wood sinks in water. The wood of Pouteria species is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out, but in its main use, naval construction, this is not a problem, since the wood never gets really dry. The vessel elements are relatively small and usually di- to quadriseriate; the medullary rays are fine and close together. Pouteria woods are capable of attaining an excellent polish using fine-grained sandpaper and possibly some wax. They can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background colour. However, the wood is hardly used for furniture because it is so dense that items made from it would be difficult to transport. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to work using hand tools. Even using power tools, working these woods presents some problems, as well, but given some patience and practical knowledge, these can easily be solved. For the silica to be effective against shipworms, it needs to dry to some degree to harden. When the wood is continually waterlogged, this process may take place very slowly or not at all, leaving the wood vulnerable. Pouteria foliage is used as food by some Lepidoptera caterpillars, including those of the dalcerid moth Dalcera abrasa, which has been recorded on P. ramiflora. The fruits are important food for various animals, such as the rock-haunting ringtail possum (Petropseudes dahli). Due to habitat loss and in some cases overexploitation, many species of Pouteria are threatened. At least 10 are close to extinction.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in areas with 2,000 mm rain per year. The temperature is about 25°C. It grows in uplands and flood plains in the Amazon in Brazil.

Amazon, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Panama, Peru, South America, Suriname,

How to Identify

A tree. It grows to 25 m tall. The trunk is 60 cm across. The leaves are simple and alternate. The leaves are 15-35 cm long by 6-15 cm wide. The flowers are in the axils of the leaves. The fruit has a single seed. The fruit is 4-10 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. The seed has a hard seed coat.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit that have fallen and the fruit are allowed to partly decompose in heaps to make removing the seeds easier. The seeds are washed then planted fresh. Seedlings emerge in 2-3 months.

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 60 - 90 days.

Other Uses

The wood is fine-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, hard to cut, slightly susceptible to wood-eating organisms. It is used in general construction.

Other Information

Fruit are popular locally.

Notes

There are about 150-320 Pouteria species. They grow in the tropics.

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