Pouteria gardneriana

Description

A tree. It grows 10-15 m tall. The trunk can be 150 cm across. It usually loses many leaves during the year. Young branches are hairy. The leaves can be spaced or in loose clusters. The leaves are 8-26 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. They are narrowly oval. The flowers are on thin leafless branches. The flowers are green and have a scent. The fruit are pear shaped. They are green and turn orange and are 6 cm long by 3 cm wide. There are 1-2 seeds.

Edible Uses

Many species, such as Pouteria sapota, have edible fruits and are important foods, seasonally. Some are being commercially collected and sold on local markets or packed in cans. Pouteria species yield hard, heavy, resilient woods used as firewood and timber, but particularly in outdoor and naval construction, such as dock pilings, deckings, etc. Some species, such as abiu (P. caimito), are considered to be shipworm resistant, but this depends on the silica content, which may vary from 0.0-0.9%. The weight by volume (at 12% moisture content) of Pouteria wood can be in excess of 1140 kg/m3 (71 lb/ft3; thus, the wood sinks in water. The wood of Pouteria species is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out, but in its main use, naval construction, this is not a problem, since the wood never gets really dry. The vessel elements are relatively small and usually di- to quadriseriate; the medullary rays are fine and close together. Pouteria woods are capable of attaining an excellent polish using fine-grained sandpaper and possibly some wax. They can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background colour. However, the wood is hardly used for furniture because it is so dense that items made from it would be difficult to transport. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to work using hand tools. Even using power tools, working these woods presents some problems, as well, but given some patience and practical knowledge, these can easily be solved. For the silica to be effective against shipworms, it needs to dry to some degree to harden. When the wood is continually waterlogged, this process may take place very slowly or not at all, leaving the wood vulnerable. Pouteria foliage is used as food by some Lepidoptera caterpillars, including those of the dalcerid moth Dalcera abrasa, which has been recorded on P. ramiflora. The fruits are important food for various animals, such as the rock-haunting ringtail possum (Petropseudes dahli). Due to habitat loss and in some cases overexploitation, many species of Pouteria are threatened. At least 10 are close to extinction.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten fresh.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in open forest and usually near sea level in Brazil.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Asia, Bolivia, Brazil*, India, Paraguay, Peru, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, Uruguay*, Venezuela,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. They should be planted in a good composted soil.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 50 - 70 days.

Other Uses

The wood is fine-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, hard to cut, resistant to wood-eating organisms. It is suitable for cabinet making, turned objects, tool handles etc.

Production

Trees flower September to February and fruit from December to April.

Other Information

The fruit are not very popular.

Notes

There are about 150-320 Pouteria species. They grow in the tropics.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aguai-guacu, Aguai-tanga, Guapeva, Mata-olho

References (13)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 488 (As Pouteria suavis)
• Brack, P., et al, 2020, Frutas nativas do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil: riqueza e potencial alimentício. Native fruits of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: richness and potential as food. Rodriguésia 71: e03102018
• Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1906:365. 1906 (As Pouteria suavis)
• Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 1836 (As Pouteria suavis)
• Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 526

More from Sapotaceae

Pouteria gardneri

Agauai grande, Gardner pouteria

Pouteria glauca

Pouteria glomerata

Abio, Glomerate pouteria

Pouteria glomerata subsp. stylosa

Pouteria gomphiifolia

Abiurana de baixo

Pouteria gongrijpii

Gongrip pouteria