Byrsonima crassifolia Kunth

Tree, 4-13(-15) m tall, 15-30 cm d.b.h.; bark fissured and lenticellate; wood dull reddish-brown, hard, heavy; younger parts densely downy-tomentose, sparsely tomentose on upper leaf surface and becoming glabrate; stems with prominent leaf scars. Leaves opposite, obovate to elliptic or ovate, short-acu-minate, acute to obtuse at base, 4-15 cm long, 2-9 cm wide, densely pubescent below with stalked trichomes, glabrescent except the midrib; midrib arched; pet-ioles 0.5-1.5 cm long, stout. Pseudoracemes terminal, usually solitary, usually unbranched, sometimes with few short branches near the base, to 20 cm long; axes, branches, peduncles, bracts, and sepals densely pubescent when young, becoming glabrate; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 2-4 mm long, deciduous; bracteoles ovate, acute, 1.0-1.5 mm long; pedicels to 1.5 cm long; flowers many, yellow, becoming red-orange in age; sepals 5, 1.5-2.5 mm long, blunt, recurved, glabrous inside, each bearing 2, thick, oblong-ovoid glands; petals clawed, 10-13 mm long, glabrous, the blade suborbicular, concave, more or less equalling length of claw, the margin irregular, one petal often smaller and held somewhat erect, the others spreading to reflexed; stamens 10, 4-5 mm long, the filaments hispid at the base, the anthers introrse, 2.5-3.0 mm long, the thecae prominently raised shedding pollen in bud, the connective thickened; ovary usually pubescent, the styles 3, distinct, slender, slightly longer than or equaling the stamens, persisting on young fruits. Drupe ovate-globose, glabrous, 0.8-1.5 cm in diam., green turning yellow to reddish; pyrenes 1-3.

A tropical plant. It suits hot tropical lowlands. It is native to C. and S. America. In the Amazon it grows to 2,000 m altitude. It can tolerate some drought and has wind resistance. It suits subtropical climates but is not very hardy. It will grow on poor soils. It can tolerate salty soils. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

The fruit are eaten fresh. They are also used in desserts, jams, soups, and stuffings for meat. They are also used in drinks. In Panama they are fermented to make a drink called Chica. An edible fat is extracted from the fruit with boiling water. Caution: There has been some concern about the fruit causing gastrointestinal disorders.

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit are the flesh removed by allowing them to partly decompose in a plastic bag. The pulp is removed under running water. Seeds need to be planted fresh. They are best in light shade. Seedlings emerge in 25-35 days.