Chrysophyllum cainito

Chrysophyllum cainito is a tropical tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is native to the Isthmus of Panama, where it was domesticated.[1] It has spread to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies and is now grown throughout the tropics, including Southeast Asia.[2] It grows rapidly and reaches 20 meters in height.

Not to be confused with Pouteria caimito.

Chrysophyllum cainito
Chrysophyllum cainito fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Chrysophyllum
Species:
C. cainito
Binomial name
Chrysophyllum cainito

Name

The fruit has numerous names. The common names cainito and caimito likely come from the Mayan words cab (juice), im (breast), and vitis (sap),[3] via Spanish. It is also called variously tar apple, star apple, purple star apple, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay. It is also known by the synonym Achras cainito.

Description

Tree
Leaves

The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple oval, entire, 5–15 cm long; the underside shines with a golden color when seen from a distance. The tiny flowers are purplish white and have a sweet fragrant smell. The tree is also hermaphroditic (self-fertile). It produces a strong odor.

Fruit
Fruits, usually purple, are also available in green or red

The fruit is globose and typically measures from 2 to 3 inches in diameter.[4] When ripe, it usually has purple skin with a faint green area appearing around the calyx. A radiating star pattern is visible in the pulp. Greenish-white and yellow-fruited cultivars are sometimes available. The skin is rich in latex, and both it and the rind are not edible. The flattened seeds are light brown and hard. It is a seasonal fruit bearing tree.

The fruits are used as a fresh dessert fruit; it is sweet and often served chilled. The fruit also exists in three colors, dark purple, greenish brown and yellow. The purple fruit has a denser skin and texture while the greenish brown fruit has a thin skin and a more liquid pulp; the yellow variety is less common.

A number of related species, also called star apples, are grown in Africa including Gambeya albida and G. africana.[5]

  • Cainito fruit cut in half
    Cainito fruit cut in half
  • Freshly plucked Cainitos
    Freshly plucked Cainitos

References
  1. Petersen, Jennifer J.; Parker, Ingrid M.; Potter, Daniel (March 2014). "Domestication of the neotropical tree Chrysophyllum cainito from a geographically limited yet genetically diverse gene pool in Panama". Ecology and Evolution. 4 (5): 539–553. doi:10.1002/ece3.948. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 4098135. PMID 25035796.
  2. ”Chrysophyllum cainito” at AgroForestryTree Database at http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/products/afdbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=524.
  3. Suárez Molina, Victor (1996). Güémez Pineda, Miguel (ed.). El español que se habla en Yucatán [The Spanish spoken in Yucatan] (in Spanish) (3 ed.). Mérida: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. p. 112. ISBN 9687556226. OL 18120697M.
  4. Boning, Charles R. (2006). Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. p. 199. ISBN 1561643726.
  5. National Research Council (2008-01-25). "Star Apples". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III: Fruits. Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-10596-5. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
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