Chrysophyllum cainito L.

Tree to 30 m. Leaves with petioles 0.8-2.3 cm long; blades elliptic or oblong, occasionally ovate or somewhat obovate, short-acuminate, to 15(-19) cm long and 8.3 cm broad, shiny-glabrous above, appressed-rufous-tomentulose below. Flowers often numerous per axillary cluster, the pedicels 5-16 mm long, appressed-rufous-sericeous; sepals ca 1 mm long, suborbicular or broadly ovate, closely rufescent; corolla green, yellow or purplish-white, 3-5 mm long, rotate-funnelform, the tube glabrous, the lobes appressed-sericeous externally cxcept at the margins, ovate or lance-ovate, equalling or slightly exceeding the tub-; anthers 0.6-0 9 mm long, the short filaments attached to the corolla-lobes near the base; style 0.5 mm long or less, the stigma with 7-12 small marginal lobes. Fruit 3-10 cm broad, subglobose, several-seeded; seeds oblique-obovate, flattened, 1-2.5 cm long, the s2ar lateral, extending nearly the length of the seed.

A tropical plant. It suits the hot, tropical lowlands with medium to high rainfall. It is native to tropical America. They are suitable for damp districts probably below 400 m altitude. They are grown at Kerevat in Papua New Guinea. It is drought and frost tender. It suits well drained soils, in a protected sunny position. Humid atmosphere and high temperatures throughout the year, suit the tree best. It has been grown up to 1,000 m altitude in South India. Young trees need cold protection but mature trees can survive cool temperatures. In XTBG Yunnan. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

The flesh of the fruit is eaten fresh when fully ripe. The skin has a gummy substance so the flesh of the fruit should be spooned out. The flesh of the fruit is sometimes added to salads and drinks. The fruit can be parboiled and also made into preserves. The seeds are sometimes eaten in confectionary. An emulsion of the kernels can be made into a sweets. Caution: The seeds contain a cyanogenic glucoside.

Trees are grown from seeds. Seed can be stored for several months. Seed germinate well if planted fresh. Germination takes about 6 weeks. Trees grown from seed, give a variation in fruit quality and size. Fruit need to ripen on the tree. Trees are not normally pruned. Budding and grafting have been used. Cuttings will grow if taken from well ripened small shoots and grown in strong moist heat. Plants can be grown by layering. Trees are usually self-fertile.