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Achradelpha mammosa ( Sapotaceae) , 47516. Sapote. 

 From Laguna, P. I. Seeds presented by the Bureau of 

 Agriculture , Manila. "One of the most Important fruits 

 of the Central American lowlands, well known to the 

 Indians from time immemorial. It is wild in many 

 regions, notably southern Mexico and Guatemala. It 

 occurs most abundantly between sea level and 2,000 

 feet; at 3,000 feet it is still common, while at 4,000 

 it becomes scarce. It is generally believed that it 

 will not succeed at 5, 000 feet, but occasionally trees 

 are seen at this elevation. In the highlands they are 

 slow of growth and the fruit requires a long time to 

 reach maturity. In the lowlands the sapote (Spanish 

 orthography 'zapote') is a large forest tree, often 60 

 feet in height, with a thick trunk and stout branches. 

 The Indians , when clearing land for coffee plantations, 

 u ually leave the sapote trees they encounter, for the 

 sake of their valuable fruits. The foliage is abundant , 

 and light green in color; the leaves are clustered 

 toward the ends of the branchlets, and are obovate or 

 oblanceolate in outline, broadest toward the apex, and 

 four to ten inches long. The flowers are very small, 

 produced in great numbers upon the stout branchlets . 

 The fruit is elliptical in form, commonly three to six 

 inches in length but sometimes larger. The skin is 

 thick and woody, with a russet surface, and somewhat 

 scurfy. The flesh is salmon-red, finely granular in 

 texture, sweet, and of almost cloying flavor, in 

 poor specimens strongly suggesting a squash or pumpkin. 

 The single seed is large, shining brown except on 

 the rough, whitish, ventral surface, and is easily 

 removed from the fruit. The Indians commonly eat the 

 sapote out of hand. It is occasionally made into a rich 

 preserve , however , and can be used in a few other ways. 

 It is slightly inferior in quality to its near relative 

 the injerto or green sapote (Achradelpha viridis) of 

 Guatemala. The seed of the sapote is an article of 

 commerce in Central America. The large kernel is re- 

 moved, roasted, and used to mix with cacao in the prepa- 

 ration of chocolate. According to some of the Indians, 

 it imparts flavor to the chocolate; others say it is 

 done to increase the bulk of the latter. In view of 

 the high price of chocolate it seems more likely that 

 sapote seeds are used as an adulterant, rather than 

 for their flavor. In southern Mexico and Central America 

 this fruit is known as 'zapote' (from the Aztec 

 'tzapotl'); in Guatemala the Indians knew it under the 

 Maya names 'saltul,' 'saltulul, 1 and 'tulul;' in Cuba 



