Calyptranthes pallens
(Poir.) Griseb.
Pale lidflower
(c) Matt Reala, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Matt Reala, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Matt Reala, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The round, dark purple berries are eaten fresh.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in moist coastal forests up to 800 m above sea level.
Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Central America, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, North America, Puerto Rico, USA, West Indies,
How to Identify
A small tree. It grows about 6 m tall. The trunk is about 15 cm across. The bark is grey and smooth but can become scaly. The twigs are slightly flattened and 2-angled and have rusty brown hairs. The leaves are in pairs and are narrowly oval and up to 8 cm long by 3 cm wide. They taper to a point at both ends. The flowers are small and white. They are in clusters near the ends of the twigs. The fruit are round, dark purple berries. They are 1 cm across. They are juicy.
Notes
There are about 200 Calyptranthes species. They are trees and shrubs in tropical America.
Names & Synonyms
Tapon blanco
References (3)
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 167
- Little, E. L., et al, 1974, Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. USDA Handbook 449. Forestry Service. p 632
- Syst. Veg. Karaiben 57; Abh. Kounigl. Ges. Wiss. Goettingen 7:215. 1857
