Common Name: Mangabiera

General Information

Mangabeira is a deciduous shrub or small tree with a low, globose crown,, growing up to 7 metres tall[, , ]. The crooked bole is profusely branched and around 20 - 30cm in diameter[].
The plant provides an edible fruit that is popular and commonly used locally, as well as a latex that has been exported in the past as a source of rubber[, ]. It is usually harvested from the wild, but is also sometimes cultivated for its fruit, which are often sold in local markets[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern and western S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.

Habitat

Scrublands (caatinga) and barren lands in central Brazil[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	7.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate is hot and dry, there are usually 6 to 11 months without rain each year. The mean annual rainfall varies from 250 - 1,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is from 24 - 26°c.
Requires a sunny position to be at its best[]. Grows best in a sandy soil, often growing in quite poor soils in the wild[, ]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Young plants grow slowly and are difficult to cultivate[].
A very variable plant, a number of varieties have been described[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The fruit needs to be very ripe and soft (fallen to the ground) to be free of any latex or bitterness[]. Fully ripe fruits have a delicious, succulent, viscous, sweet, aromatic pulp[]. A pleasant subacid flavour[, ]. The fruit can also be made into a juice, sherbet, preserves etc[]. It is much esteemed as a marmalade in parts of Brazil[, ]. The fruit is 3 - 6cm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The plant is an excellent remedy for bilious complaints[]. (Part not specified[])

Other Uses

The tree is a source of mangabeira rubber, which is of good quality and has in the past been exported from parts of Brazil[].

The wood is light, spongy, soft and easy to work with. It has little durability, even when protected from the weather. It is only used for making boxes and for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - germinates easily[]. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe and, since it does not transplant very well, is best sown in individual containers[]. Germination rates are usually low, the seeds can be slow to sprout and also grow away slowly once they have sprouted[].

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