SOAPBERRY FAMILY (SAPINDACEAE) 



140. Quenepa, kinep, Spanish-lime 



Quenepa is a familiar exotic tree planted for its 

 edible f rait and shade. It is distinguished by : ( 1 ) 

 erect form and a dense symmetrical globular crown 

 of dull light gi-een foliage ; ( 2 ) pinnate leaves with 

 4 paired elliptic leaflets 3-5 inches long and li/i- 

 21^ inches broad, long- or short -pointed at both 

 ends and slightly oblique at base, almost stalkless 

 along an axis sometimes winged; and (3) small 

 gi"eenish-white fragrant flowers about %6 ^^ch 

 across, very numerous in terminal branched clus- 

 tere; and (4) round or elliptic green fruits %-li/4 

 inches in diameter with thni, sweet and acid, juicy 

 flesh and 1 (sometimes 2) large seed. 



An evergreen tree becoming 40-60 feet high, 

 with trunk 1-2 feet in diameter, slightly angled 

 and fluted. The bark is gray and smoothish, the 

 inner bark orange brown, gritty, and tasteless. 

 Twigs are brown or gray, greenish when young. 



The alternate leaves are 6-8 inches long, with 

 light green axis 21/2-3 inches long. Leaflets are 

 thin, not toothed on edges, the pair at apex larger. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are 3-6 inches long 

 and broad, with several to many narrow branches. 

 Flowers are mostly male and female on different 

 trees but partly of both sexes (polygamous), on 

 spreading stalks i/i inch long. Calyx is deeply 4- 

 or 5-lobed, the lobes more than i/ie ^^^('^ long; 

 there are 4 or 5 rounded greenish-white petals 

 about Yg inch long; 8-10 stamens on a disk; and 

 pistil composed of 2- or 3-celled ovary with short 

 style and 2- or 3-lobed stigma. 



Fruits (drupes), borne in clusters, are marketed 

 for their thin flesh, which is gelatinous and slight- 

 ly flbrous, yellowish to salmon colored, and sug- 

 gestive of grapes. The pale yellow elliptic seeds 



Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq.* 



%-!% inches long are edible when roasted. 

 Flowering in spring (April to June), the fraits 

 maturing from June to September. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the heartwood 

 light brown or pale yellow gray. The wood is of 

 medium weight and fairly hard but reportedly not 

 resistant to decay. Elsewhere it has been used in 

 construction, interior work, and cabinets. 



Besides furnishing f iniit and shade, the trees are 

 honey plants, their pleasantly scented flowers at- 

 tracting bees. 



Planted as a frait and shade tree and along 

 highways in Puerto Rico and escaping from culti- 

 vation. Commonest in the dry coastal region. 

 Also in Mona, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, 

 and Tortola. 



Range. — Native of Colombia, Venezuela, and 

 Guianas. Widely planted and escaping or na- 

 turalizes! throughout West Indies from Bahamas 

 and Cuba to Trinidad and Curasao. Cultivated 

 also in southern Florida and California, Bermuda, 

 Central America, Ecuador, and perhaps elsewhere 

 in tropical America. Also introduced in Asia. 



Other common names. — genip, ginep (Virgin 

 Islands) ; mamon (Spanish, commerce) ; mamon- 

 cillo (Spanish) ; quenepa (Puerto Rico, Colom- 

 bia) ; limoncillo, quenepa (Dominican Republic) ; 

 escanjocote (Nicaragua) ; mamon de Cartagena 

 (Costa Rica) ; Spanish-lime, genip, mamoncillo 

 (United States) ; genip (English) ; chenet (Trini- 

 dad ) ; quenepe ( Haiti ) ; quenette, quenettier, kene- 

 pier (Guadeloupe) ; quenette (French Guiana) ; 

 kenepa, kiimup-tree (Dut:Ch West Indies) ; knip- 

 pen (Surinam). 



Botanical synonym. — Melicocca hijuga L. 



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