Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

SAPODILLA FAMILY (SAPOTACEAE)
206. Caimito, star-apple Chr#sophyllum cainito L.
A handsome tree with milky sap, cultivated for
its very sweet, edible, round fruits 2-3 inches in
cliameter, greenisll or purplish, and for sllade. It
is further identified by : (1) its spreading to droop-
ing crown ; and (2) pretty, redd~sh-brown or gold-
en (copper-colored) silky hair lower surfaces of
the elliptic or obloilg leaves. 'he snlrll purplisll-
white or greenish flowers 1/4 inch long are clustered
at bases of leaves.
Small to meclilun-sized evergreen tree 20-40 feet
high and 2 feet in trunk diameter, with dense
crown. The bark is rough, inucll fissured, and
brown. Young twigs, as \re11 as the petioles, which
are I,$-% inch long, and the flower stalks, are red-
dish-brown hairy.
Tile alternate leaves have blades 3-5 inches long
and illcllcs broad, mostly abruptly short-
pointecl at apex, short-pointed at base, with edges
not toothecl, ancl slightly thickened. The upper
surface is dark green, sliglltly shiny, and hairless.
Flower c1uste1.s have numerous small flowers on
slender hairy stalks %-3/s inch long. C:llys is com-
posed of usuttll 6 rounded sepals '/le incli-long,
reddish-brown r iairy; the purplish-\vhite corollrt,
nlso hairy, is nearly inch long, tubular and 5-7-
lobed; stamens on the corolla tube opposite the
lobes; and pistil consisting of hairy G-11-cellecl
ovary with short style and as many small stigma
lobes as cells.
The edible berry has a thick, glossy, leathery
rind wit11 gummy latex, white jellylike flesh, and
several flattened bro\vn seeds. The arrangement
of cells and seeds like a star in the cut half fruit
is the source of the English name star-apple.
Flowering in summer and fall, the fruit maturing
from late fall to summer. Said not to fruit
in the Virgin Islands.
Tile wood is reddish brown, hard, heavy (specific
gravity 0.7), strong, and durable. It is suitnhle
for construction.
The principal value of this tree in Puerto Rico
is its fruit and its attractive appearance as an
ornamental and shade tree.
Planted and escaping from cultivation in Puerto
Rico and possibly native. Also grown in St.
Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.
RASGE.-Native in Greater Antilles, the range
spread by cultivation through tropical America.
NOIT widely planted in southern Florida, through
West Indies from Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago
ancl from southern BIevico to Brnzil.
OTHER COJI~COX ~~~~~s.--cainit (Virgin Is-
Iancls) ; cnimito (Spanish) ; maduraverde, caimo,
caiino inoraclo (Colombia) ; star-ap le, goldenleaf
(English) ; kaimit, caimite (Trini 1
ad and Toba-
go) ; caymite, caymitier (French) ; sterappel (Cu-
ragao) ; sterappel, apra (Surinam) ; cainito
(Brazil).