Common Name: Ziricote

General Information

Ziricote is a very attractive flowering deciduous tree, usually with a broad crown; it can grow up to 16 metres tall, The bole is usually short[, , ].
The edible fruit is appreciated locally and is gathered from the wild[]. The tree is also locally cultivated and semicultivated in its native area for its edible fruit[, , ]. It has probably been in cultivation since the time of the Mayan Empire[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

C. America - Honduras, Belize, Guatemala; north to Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba.

Habitat

Dry lowland or coastal limestone forests[]. Rainforests on black soils and in secondary formations in Mexico[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	16.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, found at elevations up to 900 metres[]. It grows in areas that have an average annual temperature of 26°c, with a maximum temperature of 36.7 °c and a minimum of 14.9 °c. Average annual precipitation is approximately 1,288mm, ranging from 900 - 1,800 mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position in a fertile, well-drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. Plants are tolerant of salt-laden winds[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The sweetish flesh is considered a delicacy by local people, though other reports suggest it to be rather unappetizing[]. Highly esteemed for making preserves[]. The pale yellow, globose to ovoid fruit is about 5cm in diameter[]. A slightly acid flavour[].

Medicinal

The bark, flowers and fruit are used to make a cough syrup[].

Other Uses

The tough, grey-green scabrous leaves are sometimes used as a kind of sandpaper[, ]. They are also used for cleaning dishes[].

The dark heartwood is dense, hard and heavy[, ]. It takes a fine polish[]. It is used in furniture making[]. The wood has the extraordinary property of being self-lubricating and is used particularly in making ship's stuffing boxes - the point where the propeller shaft exits the hull and a perfect seal needs to be maintained[].

Propagation

Seed - very slow to germinate, the process can be sped up if the seed is scarified by lightly abrading the seedcoat to allow easier ingress of water[].
Cuttings.

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