Common Name: Bonete

General Information

Jacaratia mexicana is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing from 5 - 12 metres tall, with occasional specimens growing taller[]. The bole is very thick at the base, tapering upwards and dividing into a few heavy branches[].
The edible fruit is sometimes gathered from the wild for local consumption. The plant is also occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit317].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Central America - Nicaragua to Mexico.

Habitat

Moist or dry lowland forest or scrub, at elevations below 800 metres[]. Arid hills in El Salvador[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants can begin flowering when about 3 metres tall[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The reddish-yellow flesh has a sweet flavour[]. They can be eaten in salads, cooked, or can be made into sweetmeats of various kinds[, ]. The obovoid fruit is 4 - 15 cm long, or perhaps even longer, and 8 - 10cm wide[, ]. The seeds are many and large, often filling the single-celled or falsely 5-celled cavity[].

A kind of tortilla is made using the starch of the trunk[]. It is said that when maize is scarce the Mayas of Yucatan pulverize the pith of the plant and mix it with maize in making tortillas, although this seems unlikely[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is very soft, the trunk comprising mainly pith[].

Propagation

Seed -

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