Common Name:

General Information

Pouteria multiflora is an evergreen tree with a dense, wide canopy of spreading and slightly drooping branches; it can grow 12 - 28 metres tall. The bole can be 45 - 90cm in diameter, with small buttresses often evident on older trees[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of a good quality wood. The fruits are sold in local markets in Jamaica[]. The tree is sometimes planted in home gardens for its edible fruit, it is also suitable for growing as an ornament and to provide shade[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama; Caribbean - Trinidad to Jamaica.

Habitat

Humid forests[]. Moist coastal and limestone forests and lower mountain forests in Puerto Rico[]. Occasionally a dominant tree in rainforests of Dominica[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	21.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist to wet tropical lowlands and lower montane regions. It is mostly confined to areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,400 - 3,000mm, either with no dry season or a dry season of up to 4 months[]. The mean temperature of the coolest month is around 22°c and the hottest month 27°c, with a complete absence of frosts[].
Succeeds in full sun, but also thrives in the shade of other trees. Most commonly found on clay soils derived from limestone and igneous rocks, also succeeding in sandy loamd[]. Growth is best in a moist but well-drained soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 7[].
Seedlings sometimes are numerous in the shade of a parent tree[]. They can survive 10 - 20 years in the understorey, growing larger if a gap in the canopy opens up[].
Seedlings quickly produce strong taproots with numerous laterals. In older trees the roots are deep and extensive, often protruding above ground level in clay soils. The plant thus becomes very resistant to windthrow in strong winds and, whilst it can often lose its upper branches, it will generally recover quickly[].
On favourable sites with sufficient light, 5 year old trees can be 3 - 6 metres tall with boles 25 - 50mm in diameter[].
Trees commence flowering at around the age of 20 - 30 years, once the crown is well-developed[].
Flowering and fruiting takes place for about half the year, but in moister climates the fruit ripens nearly throughout the year[].
A large tree will bear from 200 to 300 fruits a year[].
Trees respond well to coppicing[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. A sparse, but sweetish pulp with a creamy to pasty texture and a mild, pleasant flavour[, ]. Edible but mealy and almost tasteless[]. The orange-yellow coloured round or elliptic fruits are 35 - 50mm long and 30mm wide, usually containing a single, large seed[, ].

Medicinal

Other Uses

The heartwood is reddish brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the light brown sapwood. It is fine-textured; generally straight-grained; medium to low lustre; and without evident growth rings. The wood is very hard, very heavy, firm, strong, but it is susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites. Air-seasoning is slow, difficult, and with considerable degrade. It is fairly difficult to work due to its high density, hardness and silica content; planing and resistance to screw splitting are fair; shaping, turning, mortising, and sanding are good; and boring is excellent. The wood is used principally for construction and also for furniture. Uses elsewhere include heavy construction, house framing, bridgework, and posts[, ].
The wood is commonlyused for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it cannot tolerate being dried and so is best sown as soon as it is ripe. Sow the large seed in situ or in individual containers, either in light shade or in full sun. The seed can sprout within 20 - 70 days with a 50 - 100% germination rate[]. Approximately 20% of seedlings produce multiple leaders[]. Seedlings are ready to plant out when 40cm tall, at about the age of 5 months[].

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