Manilkara
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About 70-90 species including: |
Manilkara is a genus of trees occurring throughout the tropics. The best known species are M. zapota (Sapodilla), M. chicle (Chicle) and M. bidentata (Balatá).
The genus yields edible fruit, wood and latex.
Synonyms of the genus include Achras and Sapota.
. Manilkara hexandra (Roxburgh) Mimusops hexandra Roxburgh, Shrubs or trees, 3--12 m tall. Bark gray. Branchlets glabrous. Leaves alternate, often closely clustered at end of branchlets, with conspicuous scars; petiole 0.8--2 cm; leaf blade obovate to obovate-elliptic, 5--10 X 3--7 cm, both surfaces glabrous, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, apex retuse, midrib raised abaxially, lateral veins slender and parallel, veinlets dense. Flowers axillary, fascicled. Pedicel thick, 1--1.8 cm. Sepals ovate-triangular, 3--4 mm, outside yellowish gray tomentose. Corolla white or light yellow, ca. 4 mm; lobes oblong, ca. 3 mm. Stamens ca. 5 mm; staminodes 2-parted, lobes linear, ca. 3 mm. Ovary ovoid, ca. 2 mm, 6-locular, tomentose. Berry obovoid-oblong to ellipsoid, 1--1.5 cm, 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds ca. 8--10 mm. Fl. Aug-Dec. Thickets; low elevations [Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam] Seeds contain 25% edible oil and are of medicinal value.
A tropical native of S.E. Asia. A tree of medium height but of remarkable width. It bears ½" oval fruit with one or more seeds. The young pods are boiled and eaten. The seeds, fried or roasted, taste like peanuts but contain an alkaloid and are not to be used in excess.
