Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

CASHEW FAMILY (ANACARDIACEAE)
133. Jobo de la India, ambarella Spondiaa dulcis Parkinson*
This exotic fruit tree is characterized by: (1)
pinnate leaves 8-12 inches long with 11-23 shortstalked,
lance-shaped or oblong leaflets 1%-2%
inches lone. thin and long-nointed. the edees inconspicuo~~lv
toothed aria hrned inder ; @) num@ed
flowers
nearly 1/4 inch across in branched ierminal clusters;
and (3) large elliptic or rounded yellow
fruits 2-4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter,
sour and edible.
A small to medium-sized deciduous tree reaching
20-40 feet in height and 1% feet in trunk diameter,
with few stout branches and stout twigs.
The bark is smooth and greenish and exudes a res-
. .
inous juice.
The leaves are alternate. Leaflets have stalks
less than 1/8 inch long and blades paired except the
terminal one, S/8-1 inch broad, ghort-pointed at
base.
The flower clusters (panicles) are 8-12 inches
long, the flowers on stalks about f/ls inch long.
Flowers are male or female and bisexual on the
same tree (polygamous). The small calyx is
5-lobed; the 5 whitish petals less than 1/8 inch long
are spreadin and bent downwards; there are 10
stamens; an the pistil on a disk has an ovary with
5 st les.
C
TK~ thick-skinned fruits (drupes) are borne
2-10 in a drooping cluster. They have a pleasant
odor and flavor sugpsting apples. The lnrp fewseeded
stone 1-1% inches long has stiff sp~nelike
projections into the yellow juicy pulp. In fruit
through most of the year.
The sapwood is whitish to light yellow, and the
heartwood is light brown. The wood is moderately
soft, lightweight, and not durable.
The fruits are made into preserves as well as
eaten fresh. Plants are propagated readily by
cuttings.
Grown for its fruits in Puerto Rico, chiefly in
the coastal regions. Also in St. Croix, St. Thomas,
and St. John.
Rn~a~.-Native of Society Islands in the South
Pacific but planted in various tropical regions and
relatively uncommon in the New World. Cultivated
in southern Florida, through West Indies
from Cuba and Jamaicn to Trinidad and Tobago,
and from Guianas and Venezuela to Brazil.
Though introduced into Jamaica as early as
1782, this has not become a popular fruit tree in
the West Indies.
OTHER
COMMON NAMES.---C~~~~~
((Puert0 Rico) ;
pomme cythere (Virgin Islands) ; jobo de la India,
manzana de oro (Dominican Republic) ; ciruela
dulce, manzana de Otahiti, job de la India
(Cuba) ; job0 de indio (Venezuela) ; manzana de
oro (Ecuador) ; ambarella, golden-apple, vi-apple,
Otaheite-apple (English) ; Otaheite-plum (Jamaica)
; pomme cythere (French) ; mombin espagnol,
robe (Haiti) ; prune cyWere (Guadeloupe,
Martinique) i pornme de Cythbre (Curacao, Surinnm)
; frailsi mope (Surinam) ; cajh manga, imbuzeiro
(Brazil).
BOTANICAL s ~~o~~~~.-Spondias cytherea
Sonner., S. dulcis Forst. f.