Pouteria sapota

Pouteria sapota

The Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E.Moore & Stearn, 1967) is an arboreal species belonging to the Sapotaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta division,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Ebenales Order,
Sapotaceae family,
Genus Pouteria,
P. sapota species.
The terms are synonyms:
– Achras mammosa Bonpl.;
– Achras mammosa Bonpl. ex Miq.;
– Bassia jussaei Griseb.;
– Calocarpum huastecanum Gilly;
– Calocarpum mammosum subsp. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre;
– Calocarpum mammosum subsp. candollei (Pierre) Pierre;
– Calocarpum mammosum subsp. ovoideum (Pierre) Pierre;
– Calocarpum mammosum var. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre;
– Calocarpum mammosum var. candollei (Pierre) Pierre;
– Calocarpum mammosum var. ovoideum (Pierre) Pierre;
– Calocarpum sapota (Jacq.) Merr.;
– Calospermum mammosum subsp. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre;
– Calospermum mammosum subsp. candollei Pierre;
– Calospermum mammosum subsp. ovoidea Pierre;
– Calospermum mammosum var. bonplandii (Kunth) Pierre;
– Calospermum mammosum var. candollei Pierre;
– Calospermum mammosum var. ovoidea Pierre;
– Calospermum parvum Pierre;
– Lucuma bonplandii Kunth;
– Sapota mammosa Mill.;
– Sideroxylon sapota Jacq.;
– Sideroxylum sapota Jacq..

Etymology –
The term Pouteria was given by the French botanist Charles François Antoine Morren, who described the plant for the first time in 1838 and called it Pouteria in honor of the Swiss botanist Marc Michel Poutereau, who carried out important research on the flora of the Americas.
The specific sapota epithet derives from the Nahuatl term “tzapotl”, which was the name given to the fruit of a tropical plant native to Mexico and Central America. The Nahuatl name “tzapotl” was later adapted to “sapote” in Spanish and then transformed to “sapota” in some languages, such as English, to refer to both the fruit and the plant itself.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Pouteria sapota is a plant native to an area that extends from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. It is widespread in cultivation in all the states bordering the Caribbean and also in Florida. It is very common in northeastern Brazil with the name saputi and in Cuba, known as mamey, it is also used for healing purposes.
Its natural habitat is made up of humid tropical and subtropical forests, where it preferably grows on well-drained and fertile soils. This fruiting species evolved at tropical latitudes in areas of low elevation up to 600 m and reaches heights above 1000 m only near the equator.
The plant requires a warm, humid climate to thrive. It can withstand temperatures up to around 28-30°C but does not tolerate severe cold or frost. It prefers a sunny to partially shaded location and requires a good amount of rainfall throughout the year.

Description –
Pouteria sapota is a perennial tree, which can reach a height of between 15 and 45 meters and with an open and enlarged crown with a few large branches.
The leaves are up to 30 cm long and up to 10 cm wide. They can be evergreen or deciduous.
The flowers of this plant are usually small, creamy-white or pale yellow in color. They are hermaphrodites, which means they contain both male and female organs. They may appear solitary or in small groups and are generally inconspicuous.
In tropical regions, where Pouteria sapota is native, flowering can occur several times during the year, without a specific flowering period. In these areas, the tree can produce flowers and fruit continuously.
However, in some regions with more distinct seasons, flowering can be concentrated mainly at certain times of the year. For example, in some parts of India, it tends to flower during the months of March and April.
The fruit is generally elliptical in shape, but can also be round or oval. It can exceed 10 cm in width and 30 in length and weigh more than 2 kg. The skin is brown, rough, and the inside is salmon-orange but there are also browns. The edible pulp has a soft consistency and a very sweet taste, with an aroma reminiscent of coffee.
It has one or two large, shiny dark colored seeds.

Cultivation –
Pouteria sapota is a beautiful evergreen tree that can also be grown in other tropical and subtropical regions of the world, such as parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, where the climatic conditions are suitable for its needs.
This plant, in order to develop its large fruits, needs more heat than other Pouteria species. Experimental cultivations in southern Florida have verified that it tolerates short drops in temperature but never frosts, which kill the young plants and irreparably damage the adult ones as well. The tree also needs a lot of water and cannot tolerate a prolonged dry season.
In general it is successfully cultivated in the lowland humid tropics or subtropics up to altitudes of 1,400 metres.
In its native range, the average temperature is between 25 and 28 °C, although good yields and fruit quality can be obtained at temperatures between 30 and 33 °C.
It is very intolerant of low temperatures, being quickly damaged or killed if temperatures drop much below 2°C.
It grows well in areas where the average annual rainfall ranges from 800 to 2,500 mm. It is very susceptible to drought and grows well in seaside areas, where it shows good resistance to wind.
From a pedological point of view, it prefers a rich, deep, humid soil and a position in full sun; tolerant of a wide range of soil types, including sandy and loamy soils; it requires very well drained soil and tolerates a pH between 5 and 7.
Seedlings begin to bear fruit after 7 years or more, while grafted trees begin to bear fruit after 3-5 years.
It takes 13 to 24 months for fruit to reach maturity and then trees can have flowers, immature fruit, and ripe fruit all at the same time.
This plant gives good yields; mature trees can bear 200 to 500 fruit annually, while double this amount can be obtained from large trees.
A few varieties have been produced within this species.
Like most fruit trees, it is propagated by grafting, a cultivation practice which allows the qualities of the plant from which the grafts are taken to be transmitted, and furthermore, production is thus quicker. The stem is erect and the wood is rich in a rubbery latex similar to other sapotaceae.
Propagation can also take place by seed which must be removed from the shell before sowing. The seed has a short viability of only 7 – 14 days. Seeds should be harvested from ripe fruit and planted immediately in well-drained soil.
Seeds that have a hairline crack in the coating appear to germinate more quickly.

Customs and Traditions –
Pouteria sapota is a plant of very ancient cultivation in the pre-Columbian civilizations of Central America for the production of its large fruit, which was called chachaas or chachalhaas by the Mayas and tzapotl by the Aztecs. In its places of origin it is also called “Mamey zapote”, which has the meaning of enormous zapote, being the largest among those of the genus Pouteria, or simply “zapote”, a term however also used for other sapotaceae, having the meaning of “sweet fruit ” in Nahuatl.
In Italy it has not so far been widespread in the fruit markets, therefore a defined vernacular name for the species has not yet been decided nor is it present in any dictionary, and the terms zapotone (translation of zapote mamey) and ciaciassa (Italianization of the Mayan appellative ) have rarely been used by collectors of tropical seeds.
This plant, originally from Central America and with an excellent flavor, is now grown in Florida in the county of Miami Dade. The fruit is eaten raw or used to prepare smoothies, ice creams and desserts.
Traditionally it is used to prepare a kind of cold smoothie, called a batido, or ice cream.
The whole fruit doesn’t keep very long, but the pulp can be frozen. The peel is quite thin, like that of an avocado. Inside it has a large stone that can be easily removed: its shape recalls the shell of molluscs with a very shiny surface. The flesh is salmon-colored, has the consistency of avocado and can be easily cut and separated from the peel. The part around and near the core is usually removed. The fruit has a very good yield, more than 250 grams of pulp can be obtained from a single ripe fruit. The flavor is sweet and aromatic reminiscent of a sweet potato, or pumpkin with notes tending towards almond, chocolate, honey and vanilla. It does not have a persistent aftertaste. The pairings with cold milk and cream are good. Its pulp could also be used to prepare custard, or panna cotta.
The fresh fruit is available from June to September. One cultivar in particular, known as ‘Pantin’ was discovered in Florida at a fire station in Key West. The seeds are thought to have arrived from Cuba, along with some dissidents who fled the country in the 19th century. Today the production of this plant represents 95% of the total production in Florida on 350 acres of land. There are many producers still growing this fruit in the Redland and Miami-Dade area.
The history of this plant is very old and linked to the Mayas of Central America and the history of Cuba. It is a very important fruit for the Latin community and for the community of local farmers. Most of the sapodillas sold come from Homestead farms in Florida. However, farmers are burdened by factors such as uncontrolled land development, hurricane damage, high prices and land taxes.
Parts of the plant are also used in the medicinal field.
It is a highly respected fruit in the medicine of some Caribbean countries. It is used a lot as it is believed to be very effective against gastrointestinal diseases. In some regions it is also used against headaches and venereal diseases. It is sometimes used as an antiseptic.
Seed kernel oil is used as a skin ointment and as a hair dressing which is believed to stop hair loss.
In 1970, clinical trials at the University of California at Los Angeles revealed no hair growth promoting activity, but confirmed that sapote seed oil is effective in halting hair loss caused by dermatitis seborrheic.
The oil is said to be diuretic and is also employed as a sedative in eye and ear ailments.
The residue of the seed, after the extraction of the oil, is applied as a poultice on painful skin affections.
The kernel of the seed is considered a digestive.
An infusion of the seeds is used as eye drops.
The pulverized tegument is said to be a remedy for coronary ailments and, taken with wine, is useful against kidney stones and rheumatism.
The Aztecs used it against epilepsy.
The bark is bitter and astringent and contains lucumin, a cyanogenic glycoside.
A decoction of bark is taken as a bib. A tea made from the bark and leaves is administered in arteriosclerosis and hypertension.
The milky sap is emetic and anthelmintic and has been used to remove warts and fungal growths on the skin.
The seed has narcotic properties, and this may be due to its HCN content.
It is cautioned against rubbing the eyes after handling the green fruit due to the sap oozing from the cut or broken stem.
The milky sap of the tree is highly irritating to the eyes and caustic and blistering on the skin.
The leaves are reportedly poisonous.
Among other uses, it should be remembered that extracts of this plant are used to fix the colors on painted pumpkins and other handicraft objects.
The kernel of the seed produces 45 to 60% of a white, semi-solid, vaseline-like oil that is edible when freshly extracted and refined. It is sometimes used in soap and is believed to have greater potential in the soap, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
It is also used as a hair oil and is said to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss.
Very smooth seeds were formerly much used in Central America for smoothing starched linen, like an iron, and are said to still be used for this purpose in Guatemala.
Trees are rarely cut for timber unless they bear poor quality fruit.
There is very little sapwood. The heartwood is buff or brown when fresh, turning reddish with age; it sometimes resembles mahogany but is redder and more or less mottled in darker tones. It is fine-grained, compact, generally hard and quite heavy, resistant, easily workable and fairly durable. It is classified as suitable for cabinet making and being made into furniture, but is mainly used for making trolleys, shelving and house frames.

Method of Preparation –
Pouteria sapota is a plant cultivated for its large fruits.
The ripe fruit is eaten raw, transformed into sorbets, ice creams, drinks, etc. and it can also be dried.
Unripe fruits are cooked like a vegetable.
The flesh of the ripe fruit is salmon red to reddish brown in color, has a firm, finely grained texture and a rich, sweet almond-like flavor.
The ground seeds are added to texate, made into a confection, or mixed with cornmeal, sugar, and cinnamon to make a nutritious drink called pozol.
The seed can be ground to make bitter chocolate.
The seed kernel produces a white, semi-solid, vaseline-like oil that is edible once it is extracted and refined.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2819309/original.jpg

Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.