Chrysobalanus icaco

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Chrysobalanus icaco

Description

Shrub or small tree to 5 m tall, the branches glabrous and lenticellate. Leaves orbicular to ovate-elliptic, 2-8 by 2-6 cm, retuse, rounded or with short blunt acumen at apex, subcuneate at base, glabrous on both surfaces; Stipules 1-3 mm long, caducous. Inflorescences small terminal and axillary cymules or panicles of cymules, the rachis and branches grey-puberulous. Flowers 4-6 mm long. Petals white, glabrous, exserted. Stamens 15-26, the filaments joined for up to half of length in small groups, densely hairy, exserted. Ovary at base of receptacle, pilose. Fruit ovate to obovate, 2-5 cm long;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Malaya (Singapore); Vietnam (Vietnam cultivated), Neotropics, mainly in coastal areas present, Pacific: Fiji (Fiji), West & Central Africa present
Neotropics, mainly in coastal areas; West & Central Africa, naturalized in Fiji, cultivated in Vietnam; in Malesia cultivated in Singapore where it has escaped and naturalized. Fig. ID.

Uses

Edible fruit.

Citation

PRANCE 1972 – In: Fl. Neotrop.: 15
DC. 1825 – In: Prod.: 525
SMITH 1985 – In: Fl. Vit. Nov.: 50
JACQ. 1763: Sel. Stirp. Am. Hist.: 155
HOOK.F 1867 – In: Mart., Fl. Bras. 14: 7
BROWNE 1756: Nat. Hist. Jamaica: 250