Blighia sapida

Primary tabs

Blighia sapida

Content

<<<Capsules>Inner surfaces>Hairs>Colour

creamish1
1. 005-006-001-001

<<<Habit>Stems>Hairs>Colour

ferruginous2
2. 001-002-001-001

<<<Leaves>Leaflets>Apex>Shape

obtuse, rounded or short-acuminate3
3. 002-002-007-001

<<<Leaves>Leaflets>Base>Shape

obtuse to subcuneate, slightly unequal4
4. 002-002-008-001

<<<Leaves>Leaflets>Margins>Margin type

entire5
5. 002-002-009-001

<<<Sepals>Stamens>Filaments>Hairs

densely pubescent at base6
6. 004-008-003-001

<<Capsules>Inner surfaces>Hairs

densely lanose7
7. 005-006-001

<<Capsules>Outer surfaces>Colour

lustrous, red8
8. 005-005-002

<<Capsules>Outer surfaces>Hairs

glabrous9
9. 005-005-001

<<Capsules>Pericarp>Texture

thick10
10. 005-004-001

<<Habit>Stems>Hairs

-tomentose, glabrescent11
11. 001-002-001

<<Inflorescences>Axes>Hairs

puberulent to tomentulose12
12. 003-002-001

<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Shape

subulate13
13. 003-003-001

<<Inflorescences>Racemes>Position

axillary14
14. 003-001-001

<<Inflorescences>Racemes>Shape

paniculate15
15. 003-001-002

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Apex

the apex ,16
16. 002-002-007

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Arrangement

opposite or nearly so17
17. 002-002-002

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Base

the base ,18
18. 002-002-008

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Dimensions

5-15(20) × 3-5.5(8) cm19
19. 002-002-006

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Hairs

adaxially glabrous and lustrous, abaxially puberulent along midvein20
20. 002-002-004

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Leaflet number

4-8 (5)21
21. 002-002-001

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Margins

the margins .22
22. 002-002-009

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Shape

elliptic to oblanceolate23
23. 002-002-005

<<Leaves>Leaflets>Texture

chartaceous or subcoriaceous24
24. 002-002-003

<<Leaves>Petiole plus rachis>Hairs

puberulent25
25. 002-001-003

<<Leaves>Petiole plus rachis>Length

4-17 cm long26
26. 002-001-001

<<Leaves>Petiole plus rachis>Shape

carinate27
27. 002-001-002

<<Seeds>Aril>Colour

cream28
28. 006-004-002

<<Seeds>Aril>Texture

fleshy29
29. 006-004-001

<<Sepals>Appendages>Length

ca. 2 mm long30
30. 004-006-001

<<Sepals>Disk>Hairs

tomentose31
31. 004-007-001

<<Sepals>Petals>Colour

white32
32. 004-005-002

<<Sepals>Petals>Hairs

tomentulose33
33. 004-005-004

<<Sepals>Petals>Length

ca. 4 mm long34
34. 004-005-001

<<Sepals>Petals>Shape

lanceolate35
35. 004-005-003

<<Sepals>Stamens>Filaments

filaments .36
36. 004-008-003

<<Sepals>Stamens>Length

ca. 6 mm long37
37. 004-008-002

<<Sepals>Stamens>Stamen number

838
38. 004-008-001

<Capsules>Inner surfaces

the inner surface .39
39. 005-006

<Capsules>Length

6-8 cm long40
40. 005-003

<Capsules>Locule number

3(4)-locular41
41. 005-002

<Capsules>Outer surfaces

outer surface , ,42
42. 005-005

<Capsules>Pericarp

pericarp woody, ,43
43. 005-004

<Capsules>Shape

trigonous-pyriform44
44. 005-001

<Habit>Height

10-20 m tall45
45. 001-001

<Habit>Stems

stems .46
46. 001-002

<Inflorescences>Axes

axes47
47. 003-002

<Inflorescences>Bracts

bracts , minute;48
48. 003-003

<Inflorescences>Flowers

flowers solitary or in depauperate dichasia.49
49. 003-004

<Inflorescences>Racemes

, simple or racemes, shorter than the subtending leaf50
50. 003-001

<Leaves>Leaflets

leaflets , , , , , ,51
51. 002-002

<Leaves>Petiole plus rachis

petiole plus rachis , , ;52
52. 002-001

<Seeds>Aril

with an enlarged, , aril covering its lower third53
53. 006-004

<Seeds>Colour

black, shiny54
54. 006-003

<Seeds>Length

ca. 2.5 cm long55
55. 006-002

<Seeds>Shape

ellipsoid56
56. 006-001

<Sepals>Appendages

appendage ;57
57. 004-006

<Sepals>Colour

green58
58. 004-003

<Sepals>Disk

disc cupular, ;59
59. 004-007

<Sepals>Hairs

tomentulose60
60. 004-004

<Sepals>Length

2.5-3 mm long61
61. 004-002

<Sepals>Petals

petals , , , ;62
62. 004-005

<Sepals>Shape

narrowly ovate63
63. 004-001

<Sepals>Stamens

stamens , ,64
64. 004-008

Capsules

Capsule , , , shortly stipitate,65
65. 005

Common Name

English (Suriname): ackee

Description

Tree 10-20 m tall; stems ferruginous-tomentose, glabrescent. Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate; petiole plus rachis 4-17 cm long, carinate, puberulent; leaflets 4-8 (5), opposite or nearly so, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, adaxially glabrous and lustrous, abaxially puberulent along midvein, elliptic to oblanceolate, 5-15(20) × 3-5.5(8) cm, the apex obtuse, rounded or short-acuminate, the base obtuse to subcuneate, slightly unequal, the margins entire. Inflorescence of axillary, simple or paniculate racemes, shorter than the subtending leaf, axes puberulent to tomentulose; bracts subulate, minute; flowers solitary or in depauperate dichasia. Sepals narrowly ovate, 2.5-3 mm long, green, tomentulose; petals ca. 4 mm long, white, lanceolate, tomentulose; appendage ca. 2 mm long; disc cupular, tomentose; stamens 8, ca. 6 mm long, filaments densely pubescent at base. Capsule trigonous-pyriform, 3(4)-locular, 6-8 cm long, shortly stipitate, pericarp woody, thick, outer surface glabrous, lustrous, red, the inner surface densely creamish lanose. Seeds ellipsoid, ca. 2.5 cm long, black, shiny, with an enlarged, fleshy, cream aril covering its lower third.

Distribution

Guyana cultivated, Neotropics, Suriname cultivated, tropical, western Africa present
Native to tropical, western Africa but introduced in the Neotropics. Widely planted as an ornamental and for its edible arils, the source of the nutritious Ackee, which is highly toxic when eaten unripe (Rashford 2001). Cultivated in Suriname (Veer, 2001) and Guyana as an ornamental tree, not a crop.

Habit

Tree ;66
66. 001

Inflorescences

Inflorescence of , ;67
67. 003

Leaves

Leaves paripinnate or less often imparipinnate;68
68. 002

Seeds

Seeds , , , .69
69. 006

Sepals

Sepals , , , ;70
70. 004