![]() ![]() ![]() It is not strictly tropical, for mature trees can withstand temperatures of 26º to 28º F (-3.33º to -2.2º C) for several hours. ![]() The sapodilla grows from sea level to 1,500 ft (457 m) in the Philippines, up to 4,000 ft (1,220 m) in India, to 3,937 ft (1,200 in) in Venezuela, and is common around Quito, Ecuador, at 9,186 ft (2,800 m). Commercial plantings prosper in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the interior valleys of Palestine, as well as in various countries of South and Central America, including Venezuela and Guatemala. Cultivation is most extensive in coastal India (Maharastra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madras and Bengal States), where plantations are estimated to cover 4,942 acres (2,000 ha), while Mexico has 3,733.5 acres (1,511 ha) devoted to the production of fruit (mainly in the states of Campeche and Veracruz) and 8,192 acres (4,000 ha) primarily for extraction of chicle (see under "Other Uses") as well as many dooryard and wild trees. Early in colonial times, it was carried to the Philippines and later was adopted everywhere in the Old World tropics. It was introduced long ago throughout tropical America and the West Indies, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Florida Keys and the southern part of the Florida mainland. The species is found in forests throughout Central America where it has apparently been cultivated since ancient times. In this region there were once 100,000,000 trees. The sapodilla is believed native to Yucatan and possibly other nearby parts of southern Mexico, as well as northern Belize and Northeastern Guatemala. They are brown or black, with one white margin hard, glossy long-oval, flat, with usually a distinct curved hook on one margin and about 1/4 in (2 cm) long. Some fruits are seedless, but normally there may be from 3 to 12 seeds which are easily removed as they are loosely held in a whorl of slots in the center of the fruit. The flesh ranges in color from yellowish to light- or dark-brown or sometimes reddish-brown may be coarse and somewhat grainy or smooth becomes soft and very juicy, with a sweet flavor resembling that of a pear. Though smooth-skinned it is coated with a sandy brown scurf until fully ripe. When immature it is hard, gummy and very astringent. The fruit may be nearly round, oblate, oval, ellipsoidal, or conical varies from 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) in width. They are borne on slender stalks at the leaf bases. Flowers are small and bell-like, with 3 brown-hairy outer sepals and 3 inner sepals enclosing the pale-green corolla and 6 stamens. Its leaves are highly ornamental, evergreen, glossy, alternate, spirally clustered at the tips of the forked twigs elliptic, pointed at both ends, firm, 3 to 4 1/2 in (7.5-11.25 cm) long and 1 to 1 1/2 in (2.5-4 cm) wide. It is strong and wind-resistant, rich in white, gummy latex. ![]() The sapodilla is a fairly slow-growing, long-lived tree, upright and elegant, distinctly pyramidal when young to 60 ft (18 m) high in the open but reaching 100 ft (30 m) when crowded in a forest. Among numerous vernacular names, some of the most common are: baramasi (Bengal and Bihar, India) buah chiku (Malaya) chicle (Mexico) chico (Philippines, Guatemala, Mexico) chicozapote (Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela) chikoo (India) chiku (Malaya, India) dilly (Bahamas British West Indies) korob (Costa Rica) mespil (Virgin Islands) mispel, mispu (Netherlands Antilles, Surinam) muy (Guatemala) muyozapot (El Salvador) naseberry (Jamaica British West Indies) neeseberry (British West Indies nispero (Puerto Rico, Central America, Venezuela) nispero quitense (Ecuador) sapodilla plum (India) sapota (India) sapotí (Brazil) sapotille (French West Indies) tree potato (India) Ya (Guatemala Yucatan) zapota (Venezuela) zapote (Cuba) zapote chico (Mexico Guatemala) zapote morado (Belize) zapotillo (Mexico). One of the most interesting and desirable of all tropical fruit trees, the sapodilla, a member of the family Sapotaceae, is now known botanically as Manilkara zapota van Royen (syns. Great taste, almost like brown sugar fruit usually cost $4-$5 a piece making this tree a great value. The fruit size and tree size can vary according to variety, but rnall varieties begin to bear at one to two years of age. The fruit are most often eaten fresh, but they rnare great in milk shakes and cooked dishes as well. Recent selections of improved varieties have a very fine texture and incredibly large fruit size. Sapodilla also called chiku or Naseberry, Nispero, Sapote have an exquisite flavor that tastes like a pear that has been soaked in brown sugar. Sapodilla Tree Grafted in a 3 Gallon Container. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |