SAPODILLA FAMILY (SAPOTACEAE) 



210. Nispero, sapodilla 



This exotic tree whose white latex is the main 

 source of chewinjj jium is cultivated for its well- 

 known edible fruits. It is distinguished by: (1) 

 elliptic shiny green leaves mostly short-pointed at 

 both ends, with indistinct lateral veins close to- 

 gether and nearly at right angles to midrib, on 

 slender petioles clustered at ends of stout twigs 

 though actually alternate; (2) light green cup- 

 shaped or bell-sliaped flowers about % inch long 

 and broad, borne singly at leaf bases; and (3) the 

 brown roundetl or egg-sliaped fruits 11,4-3 inches 

 in diameter, with sweet brownish flesh and milky 

 sap. 



Handsome evergreen tree, in cultivation to 50 

 feet in height and 20 inches in diameter but be- 

 coming more than 100 feet tall in forests, with 

 dense rounded crown of shiny green to dark green 

 foliage. The dark brown bark when cut yields the 

 latex known as chicle. The stout twigs are gray 

 and widely forking. 



Petioles are %-%, inch long, yellow green, and 

 finely brown haii-y. Blades are 3-41/2 inches long 

 and 11/4-11/^ inches wide, slightly thickened, shiny 

 green above and dull light green beneath. 



Flowers are borne on brown hairy stalks about 

 1/4 inch long and consist of 6 sepals about %6 inch 

 long, the outer 3 brownish hairy, ovate, and blunt- 

 pointed and the inner 3 light brownish gi-een and 

 elliptic; light green corolla about % inch long, 

 forming a tube, in lower half and 6 elliptic lobes 

 above; 6 stamens less than i/g inch long at apex of 

 corolla tube, opposite the corolla lobes and alter- 

 nating with toothed lobes (staminodes) nearly 

 ^16 iiii^h long; and pistil nearly % inch long with 

 light brown hairy 10-12-celled ovary and stout 

 green style. 



The rough-skinned berry contains 1-5 or some- 

 times more flattened elliptic shiny black or brown 

 seeds 3/4-1 inch long with a white scar on inner 

 edge. Flowering and fruiting nearly through the 

 year. 



The wood is dark red, very hard and heavy, 

 strong, tough, and durable. Where available, the 

 wood is employed in general and heavy constiiic- 

 tion, cabinetwork, furniture, tool handles, cross- 

 ties, carts, rulers, and shuttles. 



Chewing gum is made from commercial chicle, 

 which is the condensed latex principally of this 

 species and obtained chiefly by tapping trunks of 



Manilkara zapota (L.) v. Royen* 



wild trees in the Yucatan Peninsula of southern 

 Mexico, British Honduras, and Guatemala. Ac- 

 cordingly, this is one of the most important tree 

 species of British Honduras. V-shaped gashes are 

 cut in the bark in the rainy season, and the milky 

 liquid is collected in small vessels. Then the sap 

 is condensed by heating, and the resulting gum 

 kneaded with a stick and made into small cakes 

 for export. 



Nispero, or sapodilla, is extensively planted 

 over tropical regions of the world for the edible 

 fruits, whicli are among the most popular in the 

 tropics, and for ornament and shade. Besides 

 being eaten raw, the fruits can be made into pre- 

 serves and syrup. 



In Puerto Rico the trees are grown occasionally 

 for fruit and shade around houses at lower eleva- 

 tions, mostly in the drier areas. Also in Mona, St. 

 Croix, St. Tliomas, St. John, and Tortola. 



Range. — Native in southern Mexico and Central 

 America south to Costa Rica. Now widely culti- 

 vated and occasionally naturalized from southern 

 Florida and Bermuda through West Indies from 

 Bahamas and Cuba to Barbados, Trinidad and 

 Tobago, and Dutch West Indies, from INIexico to 

 Brazil, and in the Old World tropics. 



Other common names. — mespel (Virgin Is- 

 lands) ; nispero (Spanish) ; sapote (Cuba) ; 

 zapote, chicozapote, zapote chico, chicle, zapotillo 

 (Mexico) ; muyozapot (El Salvador) ; sapodilla 

 (United States, English) ; naseberry (British 

 West Indies) ; dilly (Bahamas) ; chicle, sapodilla, 

 zapote bianco, zapote Colorado, zapote morado 

 (British Honduras); sapotille, sapotillier 

 (French) ; mispu, mispel, sapodille (Dutch West 

 Indies) ; sapotille, sapatija, mispelboom (Suri- 

 nam) ; sapoti, sapotilha (Brazil). 



Botanical stnonyms.^ — Achras zapota L., Sa- 

 pota achrufi Mill., Manilkara zapotilla (Jacq.) 

 Gilly. 



Another species, wild-dilly (Manilkara jaiTniqui 

 (Wright) Dubard; synonyms Manilkara emargi- 

 n-ata (L.) Brjtton & Wilson, Achras emurffinafa 

 (L.) Little), has been recorded from southwestern 

 Puerto Rico, extending to Florida. It has 

 smaller oblong leaves ly^-i inches long, slightly 

 notched at apex; flowers about % inch long and 

 broad, witli light yellow corolla; and round inedi- 

 ble fruits 1-2 inches in diameter. 



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