Chapter 9: Crop Plants and Exotic Plants


Chapter 9: Crop Plants and Exotic Plants


MAMEY SAPOTE
Calocarpum sapota (Jacq.) Merr., family Sapotaceae

The mamey sapote, mamey, or sapote is native to Central America but is grown primarily as a dooryard planting in mildest temperature areas of California and Florida. (Also see "White Sapote," p. 380.) Campbell (1967) stated that it is easy to grow in southern Florida, where there is a ready market for its fruit. The related species (C. viride Pittier), the green sapote, has fruit 2 l/2 to 3 1/2 inches long, with brownish-green skin, sweet reddish-brown flesh, and a pleasant almondlike flavor (Whitman 1966).

Plant:

The mamey sapote is a large evergreen tree that may grow to 80 feet tall. The leaves are as much as 4 inches wide by 12 inches long. The russet-brown, ovoid fruit is 3 to 6 inches long. The somewhat granular, firm flesh is red to reddish brown and sweet. It may be eaten out of hand or used in preserves or sherbet (Kennard and Winters 1960*). There is usually one large seed. The plant is propagated by seeds. Mowry et al. (1967*) stated that old trees can withstand temperatures as low as 28deg F for several hours, but younger trees are quite susceptible to cold.

Inflorescence:

The l/2-inch, whitish, nearly sessile, bisexual flowers are produced in great numbers, six to 12 together in the axils of fallen leaves on old wood. The flower has five lobes to the corolla, five stamens alternating with five stamodia, a five-celled ovary, and a slender style with the stigma extending beyond the corolla (Bailey 1949*).

Pollination Requirements:

The construction of the flower indicates that insect pollination would aid in the setting of the fruit.

Pollination Recommendations and Practices:

None.

LITERATURE CITED:

CAMPBELL.C.W.
1967. THE MAMEY SAPOTE IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA. Fla State Hort. Soc. Proc. 80: 318-320.

WHITMAN,W. F.
1966. THE GREEN SAPOTE,A NEW FRUIT FOR SOUTH FLA. Fla. State Hort. Soc. Proc. (1965)78: 330-336.


Capturé par MemoWeb ŕ partir de http://www.beeculture.com/content/pollination_handbook/mamey.html  le 10/03/2006