Spondias mombin

Spondias mombin or yellow mombin is a tree species in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical Americas including the West Indies. The tree is naturalized in parts of Africa, India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, and the Philippines. The tree is cultivated for its edible fruit, and its timber, which is a hardwood.

Description

The Spondias mombin tree grows up to 25 meters tall and has a dense, broad crown. The leaves are pinnate, with 7-23 leaflets, each leaflet 6–9 cm long and 2.5–4 cm broad. The flowers are small, white, produced in large panicles. The fruit is an oval drupe, 3–6 cm long and 2–3 cm diameter, ripening yellow or orange. It has a single seed.

Cultivation and uses

The Spondias mombin tree is cultivated for its fruit, which is eaten fresh or used in making juice, wine, and jellies. The fruit is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber. The tree's timber is used for making furniture and in construction. The bark and leaves have medicinal properties and are used in traditional medicine in many cultures.

Ecology

The Spondias mombin tree is a host plant for the caterpillars of the butterfly species Anaea troglodyta and Anaea aidea. The tree's flowers are pollinated by insects and the fruit is dispersed by birds and mammals.

Taxonomy

The Spondias mombin was first described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The species name mombin is derived from the French word for the tree's fruit.

See also

• Spondias purpurea
• Spondias dulcis
• Spondias tuberosa

References

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