Ximenia americana var. americana
Content
Description
Sprawling or low-branching shrub or several-stemmed tree, to 12 m tall; bark reddish to grayish-brownish. Branches more or less flexuous, dark; branchlets with axillary spines, or usually ending in robust thorns to 7 cm long. Leaves often closely arranged on short lateral twigs, usually deciduous in the dry season, variable in shape, size, and texture. Petioles 3-7(-12) mm long; blades membranaceous to (sub)coriaceous, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, ovate, elliptic, obovate, or sometimes (sub)orbicular, (2-)2.5-5(-10) x (1-)2-3(-6) cm, generally obtuse at both ends, though apex often minutely apiculate or mucronulate and sometimes emarginate, brownish-blackish and brittle in the dry state, primary vein prominent beneath, secondary veins 3-5(-7) pairs, inconspicuous. Inflorescence in form of 2-8(-10)-flowered sub-umbellate racemes or cymes; peduncle 1-15 mm long; pedicel (3-)4-7(-12) mm long. Sepals 4(-5), subacute, ciliate, 0.5-1.5 mm long; petals 4(-5), linear-oblong, acute or rather obtuse, white to yellowish-green, sometimes purple-tipped, white-bearded inside to within 1.5-3 mm of apex; stamens 8(-10), filaments 2.5-4 mm long; style filiform, (1-)2.5-5.5 mm long. Drupe plum-like, ellipsoid to subglobose, apiculate, yellow to orange, rarely scarlet, (1.7-)2.5(-3.5) x 1.5-3 cm, subtended by not-accrescent calyx, pericarp pulpy, green to yellowish, endocarp crustaceous.
Distribution
C Argentina present, C and S America present, Guianas present present, Keys present, Northern America: Florida (Florida present), Pantropical and -subtropical present, S Brazil present, Southern America
Pantropical and -subtropical. From Florida, the Keys and West Indies to C and S America; southern limit from S Brazil to C Argentina. Locally common in the Guianas. Over 300 collections studied, 32 from the Guianas (GU: 10; SU: 16; FG: 6).
Common Name
Creole (Guyana): muri lime, wild lime; English (Guyana): bosle, boslemmetje, fransman-mope, wiri
Uses
The wood is hard, heavy, close-grained, and used as a substitute for sandalwood because of its fragrance and whitish-yellow to brownish color, but seldom large enough for furniture. The bark is astringent and is locally used as a source of tannin. The sour pulp of the fruit is edible. The seeds are purgative and are reported to contain hydrocyanic acid.