Sideroxylon americanum

(Miller) Pennington

Cocuyo, Pigeon berry

Sapotaceae Edible: Fruit 87 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A spreading shrub or small tree. It can be 10 m high. The young branches have soft brown hairs. They can have spines. The leaves are mostly opposite. They are 0.8-6.5 cm long by 0.4-4 cm wide. They are usually broadly sword shaped or wedge shaped. The flowers have both sexes. They are white or cream coloured. They occur in the axils of leaves. The flower stalk is 3-5 mm long. The flowers have a strong scent. The fruit are 0.7-1.5 cm long. They are round or oval. The fruit ripen black or violet. There is one seed. It is 0.5-1.3 cm long. The fruit is edible.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. The black or violet, ovoid, ellipsoid or globose fruit is 7 - 15mm long, containing a single, large seed.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is a coastal plant. It grows on dunes and arid cliffs.

Where It Grows

Bahamas, Belize, Central America, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, North America, Panama, West Indies,

Cultivation

The flowers are very fragrant. Birds are very keen on eating this fruit.

Synonyms

Maurocenia americana MillerBumelia retusa SwartzAchras retusa (Swartz) PoiretLyciodes retusa (Swartz) KuntzeBumelia retusa var. loranthifolia PierreBumelia retusa subsp. neglecta CronquistBumelia americana (Miller) Stearn.Bumelia neglecta (Cronquist) Lundell

Also Known As

Milk berry, Wild saffron, Xpotzilil

References (3)

Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.wdt.qc.ca)
Pennington, T.D., 1990, Sapotaceae in Flora Neotropica Monograph 52. New York Botanical Gardens. p 118
Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 232 (As Bumelia retusa)