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(Last Modified On 4/2/2013)
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(Last Modified On 4/2/2013)
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Species
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Chrysophyllum cainito L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 192, 1753.
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Description
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Tree to 30 m. Leaves with petioles 0.8-2.3 cm long; blades elliptic or oblong, occasionally ovate or somewhat obovate, short-acuminate, to 15(-19) cm long and 8.3 cm broad, shiny-glabrous above, appressed-rufous-tomentulose below. Flowers often numerous per axillary cluster, the pedicels 5-16 mm long, appressed- rufous-sericeous; sepals ca 1 mm long, suborbicular or broadly ovate, closely rufescent; corolla green, yellow or purplish-white, 3-5 mm long, rotate-funnelform, the tube glabrous, the lobes appressed-sericeous externally cxcept at the margins, ovate or lance-ovate, equalling or slightly exceeding the tub-; anthers 0.6-0 9 mm long, the short filaments attached to the corolla-lobes near the base; style 0.5 mm long or less, the stigma with 7-12 small marginal lobes. Fruit 3-10 cm broad, subglobose, several-seeded; seeds oblique-obovate, flattened, 1-2.5 cm long, the s2ar lateral, extending nearly the length of the seed.
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Habit
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Tree
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Distribution
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Probably native to the West Indies; cultivated and often naturalized in Cen- tral America and Mexico and occasionally in northern South America and southern Florida.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Changuinola Valley, Dunlap 24 (F); vic of Chiriqui Lagoon, von Wedel 2523 (MO). CANAL ZONE: nr Madden Dam & along Azote Caballo Rd nr Alajuela, Dodge 16573 (MO); upper Chilibre River, 1,2-1 mi below Chilibre, Seibert 1505 (MO). CHIRIQUI: pastures & forested river banks E of Gaulaca, Allen 5033 (MO); Progreso, Cooper & Slater 247 (F), 264 (F). COCLE: floor of El Valle de Anton, Allen 2747 (F). DARIEN: Rio Sabana above Sante Fe, Duke 14104 (MO); vic of Campamento Buena Vista, Rio Chucunaque above confluence with Rio Tuquesa, Stern et al. 853 (MO). HERRERA: Vic of Ocu', Allen 3647 (MO). LOS SANTOS: from 1 mi S to 10 mi N of Tonosi, Duke 12488 (MO). PANAMA: woods along Pan-Am Hwy ca halfway betw El Llaon & Rio Momoni, Duke 5527 (MO); Chepo, Kluge 49 (F); Taboga I, Woodson et al. 1537 (MO). VERAGUAS: dry slopes of Cerro Tute, region W of Santa Fe, Allen 4441 (MO); Coiba I, Dwyer 2331 (MO).
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Note
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Chrysophyllum cainito is the best known species of the genus and is widely planted as a shade tree and for its succulent, edible fruit which resembles a small apple. When the fruit is cut in cross-section, the several compressed, brown seeds are seen to radiate in a star-like fashion around the central axis-hence the common name "star apple." The foliage is bright blue-green above and coppery or golden beneath and offers a striking contrast when stirred by the wind.
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