Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

SAPODILLA FAMILY (SAPOTACEAE)
210. Nfspero, sapodilla Manilkara zapota (L.) v. Royen*
This exotic tree whose white latex is the main
source of chewing gum is cultivated for it wellknown
edible fruits. It is distinguished by: (1)
elliptic shiny green leaves mostly short-pointed at
both ends, with indistinct lateral veins close together
and nearly at right angles to midrib, on
slender petioles clustered at ends of stout twigs
though actually alternate; (2) light green cupshaped
or bell-shaped flowers about 3/8 inch long
and broad, borne slngly at leaf bases; and (3) the
brown rounded or egg-shaped fruits 11/24 inches
in diameter, wit11 sweet brownish flesh and milky
sap.
Handsome evergreen tree, in cultivation to 50
feet in height and 20 inches in diameter but becoming
more than 100 feet tall in forests, with
dense rounded crown of shiny green to dark peen
foliage. The dark brown bark when cut yields the
latex known as chicle. The stout twigs are gray
and widely forking.
Petioles are 9%-S/4 inch long, yellow green, and
finely brown hrtiry. Blades are 3-4s inches long
and 1%-1% inches wide, slightly thickened, shiny
green above and dull light green beneath.
Flowers are borne on brown hairy stalks about
1/2 inch long and consist of 6 sepals about s/16 inch
long, the outer 3 brownish hairy, ovate, and blunt-
pointed and the inner 3 light brownish p en and
elliptic; light green corolla about s/s inch long,
forming a tube in lower half and 6 elliptic lobes
above; 6 stamens less than 1/8 inch long at apex of
corolla tube, opposite the corolla lobes and alter-
nating with toothed lobes (staminodes) nearly
S/1= inch long; and pistil nearly ?.$ inch lon with
light brown hairy 10-12-celled ovary anif stout
peen style.
The rough-skinned berry contains 1-5 or some-
times more flattened elliptic shiny black or brown
seeds inch long with a white scar on inner
edge. Flowering and fruiting nearly through the
year.
The wood is dark red, very hnrd and heavy,
strong, tough, and durable. Where available, the
wood is employed in general and 11e.avy construc-
tion, cabinetwork, furniture, tool handles, cross-
ties, carts, rulers, and shuttles.
Chewing gum is made from commercial chicle,
which is the condensed latex principally of this
species and obtained chiefly by tapping trunks of
wild trees in the Yucatan Peninsula of southern
Mexico, British Honduras, and Guatemala. Accordingly,
this is one of the most important tree
species of British Honduras. V-shaped gashes are
cut in the bark in the rainy season, and the milky
liquid is collected in small vessels. Then the sap
is condensed by heating, and the resulting gum
kneaded with a stick and made into small cakes
for export.
Nispero, or sapodilla, is extensively planted
over tropical regions of the world for the edible
fruits, which are among the most popular in the
tropics, and for ornament and shade. Besides
being eaten raw, the fruits can be made into preserves
and syrup.
In Puerto Rico the trees are grown occasionally
for fruit and shade around houses at lower elevations,
mostly in the drier areas. Also in Mona, St.
Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola.
RANGE.-Native in southern Mexico and Central
America south to Costa Rica. Now widely cultivated
and occasionally naturalized from southern
Florida and Bermuda through West Indies from
Bahamas and Cuba. to Barbados, Trinidad and
Toba~o, and Dutch West Indies, from Mexico to
Brazil, and in the Old World tropics.
OTHER COJfMON NAMES.-~~S~~~ (Virgin ISlands)
; nispero (Spanish) ; sa ote (Cuba) ;
zapote, chicozapote, zapote chico, c 1 icle, zapotillo
(Mexico) ; muyozapot (El Salvador) ; sapodilla
(United States, English) ; naseberry (British
West Indies) ; dilly (Bahamas) ; chicle, sapodilla,
zapote blanco, zapote colorado, zapote momdo
(B r i t i s h Honduras) ; sapotille, sapotillier
(French) ; mispu, mispel,. sapodille (Dutch West
Indies) ; sapotille, sapatya, mispelboom (Surinam)
; sapoti, sapotilha (Brazil).
BOTANICAL BYNONY~~~.-AC~?-~~ zapota L., Sapota
uchrcls Mill., Man2kara mpoti2Za (Jacq.)
Gillv.
hoth her species, wild-dilly (Nan2ka3.a jainziqui
(Wright) Dubard ; synonyms Vanitkara ewgi- nnta (L.) Britton & Wilson, Achras emrginata
(L.) Little), has been recorded from southwestern
Puerto Rico, extending to Florida. It has
smaller oblong leaves 11/44 inches long, slightly
notched at apex; flowers about 6/8 inch lofig and
broad, with light yellow corolla; and round inedible
fruits 1-2 inches in diameter.