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Useful Tropical Plants

Manilkara chicle

(Pittier) Gilly

Sapotaceae

+ Synonyms

Achras calcicola Pittier

Achras chicle Pittier

Manilkara calcicola (Pittier) Gilly

Mopania calcicola (Pittier) Lundell

Mopania chicle (Pittier) Lundell

Common Name:

Manilkara chicle
Tree
Photograph by: O. M. Montiel
Creative Commons License
Manilkara chicle Manilkara chicle Manilkara chicle

General Information

Manilkara chicle is an evergreen tree with a broad, spreading crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall. The bole is up to 75cm in diameter[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
475
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 55
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Contains, amongst other things, a taxonomic treatment of the Phytolaccaceae and part of the flora of Panama. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wood. It also yields a useful latex from which chewing gum can be made, though it is inferior to the gum from Manilkara zapota and is generally only used as an adulterant of that species[
475
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 55
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Contains, amongst other things, a taxonomic treatment of the Phytolaccaceae and part of the flora of Panama. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
475
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 55
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Contains, amongst other things, a taxonomic treatment of the Phytolaccaceae and part of the flora of Panama. Can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

S. America - Colombia; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico.

Habitat

Mixed forests, at elevations up to 1,100 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height25.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The globose to obovoid fruit is 35 - 40mm in diameter[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

The tree yields a considerable quantity of latex, which is said to be difficult to coagulate. Its gum is much used as an adulterant of chicle in the regions where both grow, or it is sold separately, under the name Crown gum. It is said to be soft and difficult to mold, therefore less satisfactory for chewing gum than the gum of Manilkara zapota[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Chicle gum is obtained from oblique cuts or slashes made in the trunk of the tree during the rainy months. From these cuts there issues a milky latex which is coagulated by heat, and is then formed into solid blocks for export[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The tree yields a considerable quantity of latex, which is said to be difficult to coagulate, but is used as an adulterant of sapote gum (Manilkara zapote). These uses are as follows:-
The gum is used in transmission belts, dental surgery, and as a substitute for gutta-percha, a coagulum of the latex of Palaquium spp[
303
Title
World Agroforesty Centre
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.worldagroforestry.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
].

The heartwood is reddish-brown; it is distinctly demarcated from the yellowish or cream-coloured sapwood. It is used for railroad ties, house building, and other purposes[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Manilkara+chicle>

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