Mammea americana
| Mammea americana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Mammea americana |
| Common names | mammee apple, mammee, mamey apple, mamey amarillo, St. Domingo apricot |
| Genus | Mammea |
| Family | Calophyllaceae (older sources: Guttiferae) |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Fruit type | Berry |
| Growth form | Large evergreen tree |
| Native range | Caribbean, especially the Greater Antilles; widely cultivated through tropical America |
| Climate and site | Tropical to near-tropical; frost-tender |
| Mature size | Commonly about 18–21 m in favorable sites |
| Propagation | Fresh seed; air-layering and other vegetative methods are documented |
| Years to fruit | About 6–13 years from seed; variable by provenance, climate, and flowering form |
Mammee apple is a large evergreen Caribbean fruit tree. The accepted name is *Mammea americana* L. and modern taxonomic sources place it in Calophyllaceae and Malpighiales; older forestry accounts often use Guttiferae. Reserve “mamey apple” or “mammee apple” for this species because “mamey” alone is also used for the unrelated mamey sapote, *Pouteria sapota*.[1][2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The tree has a dense evergreen crown, glossy leathery leaves, fragrant white flowers, and large round to irregular fruits with brown leathery skin and yellow-orange flesh. The fruit is a berry and may contain one to four seeds. Sources differ in details of flower sex expression, reporting male, female, hermaphroditic, or polygamous flowers; retain that variation rather than presenting one system as universal.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit | edit source]
The species is Caribbean in origin and has been cultivated widely through Central America and the Caribbean. Forestry sources describe occurrence in both dry and wet tropical forest and in semi-cultivated or secondary settings. Reported elevation varies by locality; it should be treated as a tropical tree with site-dependent limits rather than given one strict altitude ceiling.[4]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Plant mammee apple in deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Sources describe performance in sandy loam and adaptability to shallow or sandy limestone-derived soils, but good drainage remains more reliable than any one texture. It suits moist tropical conditions with regular soil moisture and high humidity, yet should not be kept waterlogged. Full sun or light shade is suitable; young trees can tolerate more shade than mature fruiting trees. The tree is frost-tender, especially when young.
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
A deep, drained soil with regular moisture is the useful general target. World Agroforestry gives broad tropical rainfall conditions, but the reviewed USDA material contains an implausibly low rainfall figure inconsistent with the ecology and other sources; that figure is not used here. Avoid stagnant ground.
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Full sun supports fruiting, while light shade may help establishment. The species belongs in warm, humid conditions and needs protection from frost and cold winds. No fixed relative-humidity percentage is established.
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The tree is evergreen rather than temperate-deciduous. Flowering in the West Indies is reported mainly from May through October; fruit may be harvested from July through February, and some Caribbean localities report fruit at much of the year. Regional timing and flower sex expression vary, so protect young trees from cold and adjust irrigation to the actual dry season rather than imposing a winter dormancy schedule.[3]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Fresh seed is the usual method; sow promptly because the seeds are reported to have limited storage life. Air-layering and other vegetative methods are documented, although the evidence for named-clone performance is less consistent than the seed record. Reported first-bearing ages from seed range from about 6–7, 6–10, and 8–13 years in different sources; the summary range of 6–13 years preserves that conflict without implying a fixed schedule.[4][3]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
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Fragrant white flowers are borne singly or in small clusters on young branches. Fruits can take many months, up to about a year in the World Agroforestry account, to mature. Brown skin alone is not a reliable universal harvest index; local fruit softening and cultivar experience are more useful than color alone.[3]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
Ripe flesh is eaten fresh and used in desserts, preserves, sauces, pies, beverages, and sherbets. Remove the seeds and bitter membrane. Seeds and other plant parts are reported to have insecticidal or toxic activity; they should not be used as home remedies or eaten. This warning concerns seeds and extracts and should not be conflated with the ordinary ripe flesh used as food.[4][3]
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [2] UF/IFAS: Mamey sapote.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Mammea americana Fruit.jpg — Filo gèn’, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Mammea americana1.jpg — Sven Volkens, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Mammea americana (Abricotier des Antilles 1).jpg — Fpalli, CC BY-SA 3.0.