Common Name: Cupui

General Information

Cupui is an evergreen tree with an elongate, multi-branched crown; usually growing 6 - 12 metres tall but with some specimens reaching 20 metres[, , ]. The bole is usually 15 - 20cm in diameter, occasionally to 30cm[].
The edible pulp is often consumed, usually in the form of juices, and greatly enjoyed within the plants native range[]. The seeds are also sometimes used for chocolate production[]. The tree is normally harvested from the wild, but it is also sometimes cultivated[, ]. The fruits are often sold in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana.

Habitat

An understorey plant in the rainforests, often along the sides of rivers[, ]. Usually found in non-inundatable lowland, often on humus-rich soils, ascending small hills on sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects, ?Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the hot, moist, lowland tropics[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, tolerating 16 - 40°c[]. It requires a mean annual rainfall within the range 2,000 - 8,000mm, evenly distributed throughout the year[].
Grows best in the dappled shade of other trees[]. Prefers a relatively rich, circumneutral soil[]. The plant is not drought tolerant, being unable to withstand even short dry seasons without the protection of dense shade and local humidity[].
Newly planted young trees grow away slowly[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, , ]. The fruits contain a small amount of sweet, succulent pulp surrounding the seeds[]. It is often made into juices[]. Deliciously sweet, it is highly valued for juices[]. The fruit is about 10cm long and 6cm wide[].

The seed is suitable for chocolate production[, ]. The seeds of species in this genus are generally a rich source of oil (around 50%), starch (around 15%) and protein (around 15%)[]. They also contain a volatile oil and the stimulating alkaloids caffeine and theobromine[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the crushed bark is used to expel stomach worms and to treat stomach ache and pains in the liver and upper chest[].
The rasped inner bark, mixed with water, is used to soothe ant bites and is rubbed onto testicles that are swollen due to a hernia or other cause[].

Although no specific reports of medicinal use have been seen for this plant, the seed is a source of cacao powder and butter. These products have the following medicinal uses:-
Cacao powder and butter, which are obtained from the seed, are nutritive[]. The butter is also applied externally as an emollient[].
Cacao powder is taken internally in the treatment of angina and high blood pressure[].
Cacao butter is an excellent emollient, being applied to the skin to soothe and soften it[]. It is used traditionally to treat chapped skin and burns, and is also rubbed into bruises[]. Research has shown that it can help to counter the bacteria responsible for boils and septicaemia[].

Other Uses

An oil, known as cacao butter, which is solid at room temperature, is obtained from the seed. In addition to being used locally as a food and medicine, cacao butter is important in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries[].

The wood is coarse-textured, straight-grained, heavy, hard to cut, with average resistance to wood-eating organisms[]. It is sometimes used in light construction and cabinet making and general construction[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a very short viability, requiring high humidity and optimum temperatures to remain viable. There is no dormancy, the seed often germinating whilst still inside the pod[]. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe, in a semi-shaded position in individual containers[]. Germination rates are usually quite low, with the seed sprouting in 20 - 30 days[].

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