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Chrysophyllum africanum

(African Star Apple)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

African Star Apple

Description

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Family Sapotaceae

Trees or shrubs , usually producing latex. Leaves spirally arranged or alternate and distichous, rarely ± opposite, sometimes crowded at apex of branchlets ; stipules early deciduous or absent; leaf blade papery or leathery, margin entire. Flowers bisexual or unisexual , usually in sessile axillary clusters , rarely solitary; cluster pedunculate or in raceme-like inflorescence, bracteolate . Calyx a single whorl of usually 4--6 sepals, or 2 whorls each with 2--4 sepals. Corolla lobes as many to 2 X as many as sepals, usually entire, rarely with 2 lacerate or lobular appendages . Stamens inserted at corolla base or at throat of corolla tube , as many as and opposite corolla lobes to many and in 2 or 3 whorls; staminodes when present alternate with stamens, scaly to petal-like. Ovary superior, 4- or 5-locular, placentation axillary; ovules 1 per locule, anatropous . Style 1, often apically lobed . Fruit a berry or drupe, 1- to many-seeded. Seed coat brown (pale yellow in Pouteria annamensis), hard, shiny, rich in tannin; endosperm usually oily; seed scar lateral and linear to oblong or basal and round .

About 1100 species and 53 genera: pantropical ; 11 genera and 24 species (six endemic) in China.[1]

Genus Chrysophyllum

Shrubs or trees . Leaves alternate; stipules absent. Flowers small, 2 to many fascicled and axillary , pedicellate or sessile. Sepals 5(or 6), usually glabrous or inside tomentose . Corolla tube campanulate , usually extended, (4- or) 5--11-lobed. Stamens (4 or) 5--10 in 1 whorl, inserted in throat and opposite corolla lobes ; staminodes absent. Ovary 1--10-locular, villous or glabrous. Style longer to shorter than ovary. Fruit 1--8-seeded, exocarp thick to very thin. Seed coat papery to crusty; scar narrow to wide, lateral , sometimes almost covering entire seed.

About 70 species: Madagascar; tropical and subtropical America, tropical Africa and Asia; one species in China.[2]

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Chrysophyllum delevoyi De Wild. • Chrysophyllum edule Hoyle • Chrysophyllum macrophyllum Sabine • Chrysophyllum omumu J. D. Kenn. • Gambeya africana< /i> (A. Dc.) Pierre • Gambeya kali Aubrév. & Pellegr. • Planchonella africana< /i> (A. Dc.) Baehni

Notes

Publishing author : A.DC. Publication : Prodr. (DC.) 8: 163 1844 [mid Mar 1844]

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 11-Nov-2003

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Chrysophyllum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 9 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. africanum (African Star Apple) · C. albidum (White Star Apple) · C. argenteum (Bastard Redwood) · C. argenteum argenteum (Smooth Star Apple) · C. cainito (Caimito) · C. mexicanum (Caimitillo) · C. oliviforme (Satin Leaf) · C. oliviforme oliviforme (Satinleaf) · C. pauciflorum (Camito De Perro)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Shugang Li & T. D. Pennington "Sapotaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 205. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Chrysophyllum". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 208. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-07-22