Melicoccus

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Melicoccus
Melicoccus bijugatus fruit
Melicoccus bijugatus fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Melicoccus
P.Browne
Species

See text

Melicoccus is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae, native to tropical regions of western South America.

They are evergreen trees growing to 30 m tall, with alternate pinnate leaves with 4 or 6 opposite leaflets (no terminal leaflet). The fruit is a drupe.

Species
  • Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. – Mamoncillo. Colombia, Venezuela.
  • Melicoccus lepidopetalus Radlk. – Motoyoé or Yva Povo. Bolivia, Paraguay.

The fruit is edible, and both species are widely cultivated in their native areas and elsewhere in Central America and the Caribbean.

Some species of the related genus Talisia are sometimes included in Melicoccus.

[edit] References

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