''Pouteria caimito'', the abiu (), is a tropical fruit tree in the family ''
Sapotaceae
240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India
The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...
''.
It grows in the
Amazonian region of
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
, and this type of fruit can also be found in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
and other countries in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. It grows to an average of high, with ovoid fruits. The inside of the fruit is translucent and white. It has a creamy and jelly-like texture with a taste resembling
caramel
Caramel ( or ) is a range of food ingredients made by heating sugars to high temperatures. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons or candy bars, as a topping for ice cream and custard, and as a colorant ...
custard.
Description
''P. caimito'' grows to an average of high, and can grow as high as under good conditions.
The
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
range from
oblong
An oblong is an object longer than it is wide, especially a non-square rectangle.
Oblong may also refer to:
Places
* Oblong, Illinois, a village in the United States
* Oblong Township, Crawford County, Illinois, United States
* A strip of land ...
to
elliptical. They can be in length and in width.
Abiu may have several flowering periods a year, with potential for both flowers and fruit on the tree at one time. The development time from flower to ripe fruit is about 3 months.
The main crop season varies by climate.
The flowers on the tree may occur either single or in clusters of two to five flowers. They appear on the leaf
axil
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...
s on long, thin shoots. The flowers are small with four to five petals. The petals are
cylindrical
A cylinder () has traditionally been a Solid geometry, three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a Prism (geometry), prism with a circle as its base.
A cylinder may ...
and are white to greenish in color. The flowers are
hermaphroditic
A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic.
The individuals of many ...
, meaning they are both sexes. The flowers open in the morning and can stay open for about two days.
In Ecuador, the fruits are in season during March and April, but may also produce in other times of the year. In some Brazilian markets, they are sold from September to April, but at this time, they are sparse.
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
has a short season in February and March. In
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, the fruits ripen from August to October. In northern Queensland, Australia, the main crop ripens January to March.
Mature abiu trees produce 100 to 1,000 fruits each year.
They measure across, vary from round to oval, and are pointed at the distal end. When ripe, they have smooth, bright yellow skin. Inside is a pale,
translucent
In the field of optics, transparency (also called pellucidity or diaphaneity) is the physical property of allowing light to pass through the material without appreciable light scattering by particles, scattering of light. On a macroscopic scale ...
pulp of a custard consistency that is easily scooped out with a spoon; also, a few bits of tougher gel may be found. The fruits have one to four
ovate
Ovate may refer to:
* Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts
*Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe
* Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd
* Vates or ovate, a term for ancient Celtic bards ...
seeds,
which are easily removed and are covered with a thin layer of adherent pulp. The fruit has a sweet, mild taste, which may have a hint of
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.
The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
, but is best described as reminiscent of caramel
flan. It is often used in ice cream or eaten out of hand.
Unripe fruits contain a gummy and unpalatable
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...
that hardens upon exposure to air. The skin of the ripe fruit is a pale yellow color with a leathery texture and residual latex. Because mature fruits continue to ripen when picked, the harvest can be timed to allow for transportation to market. However, this period may be as short as five days.
Maturation can be recognized by the pale green-to-yellow
color break and the ripe fruit can be identified by its yellow coloration and a slight softness.
The abiu varies in form, size, and quality of the fruit. Some have soft and others firm flesh. Some taste bland while others have very nice flavor. In Colombia along the Putamayo River, one variety has large, round fruits that are produced after four years. In Vaupes, Colombia, a variety bears fruit just one year after seeding; however, these fruits are small and contain little pulp.
Similar species
The abiu tree is very similar in appearance to the
canistel
''Lucuma campechiana'' (commonly known as the cupcake fruit, eggfruit, zapote amarillo or canistel) is an evergreen tree native to, and cultivated in, southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It is cultivated in other countries, s ...
.
Distribution and habitat
''P. caimito'' is commonly considered to be native to the headwaters of the
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
. It grows wild in the lower eastern part of the
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
from southwestern
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
to
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. It also grows around
Tingo Maria and
Iquitos
Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province, Peru, Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the List of cities in Peru, ninth-most populous city in Peru ...
, Peru, and it can commonly be found in the Province of
Guayas in
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, where it is sold in the markets. The abiu was cultivated by Amerindians and it became widespread in the Amazon, but the origins of the fruit's distribution outside the Amazon is uncertain. In the Amazon basin, it is found to grow heavily in the northern Brazilian state of
Pará
Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...
, but is also found sparsely in collections from the
Atlantic rainforest near
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
and
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
. It can also be found in
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
in areas such as the regions of
Caquetá,
Meta, and
Vaupes and it is very plentiful in
Amazonas, Venezuela. It has also been growing for a very long time in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
and it is endemic in some parts of
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
like
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.
The abiu grows best in areas that have a year-round moist and warm climate. It can now be found throughout most of the
Amazon basin
The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...
. It is a common dooryard tree in the backyards and streets in the city of many Brazilian towns, but it is not usually grown commercially. It has also been introduced outside of the Americas; for example, it is grown on the Pacific island of Tahiti since 1993. The abiu
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s are nearly all tropical. It thrives in a place that has a year-round warm and moist climate, although it has been known to grow well in Rio de Janeiro, which is a somewhat cooler climate. In Peru, it cannot grow above feet in elevation, but in Colombia, it has been found growing up to an elevation of .
Cultivation
The tree grows best in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
areas and in places that have a warm, moist climate all year long, and is slightly less hardy than related sapotes such as the canistel and
sapodilla
''Manilkara zapota'', commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or
soapapple, among other names, is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. An example natural occurrence is ...
(nispero).
Within the United States, it grows well in South Florida as far north as Palm Beach County, and has survived brief freezes.
It prefers wet, slightly acidic soil with high organic content, and may suffer from iron deficiency (
chlorosis
In botany, chlorosis is a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll. As chlorophyll is responsible for the green color of leaves, chlorotic leaves are pale, yellow, or yellow-white. The affected plant has little or no ability to ...
) in alkaline soils. A tree that has just been planted is fragile and needs protection from wind and cold weather. Only light
pruning
Pruning is the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.
It is practiced in horticulture (especially fruit tree pruning), arboriculture, and silviculture.
The practice entails the targeted removal of di ...
is necessary and feeding should be frequent, but light.
Propagation
Propagation
Propagation can refer to:
*Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism
*Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials
*Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda
*Reproduction, and other forms ...
is nearly always by seeds, but the fruit of seedling trees is variable. Fresh seeds need to be planted within a few days if they are to remain viable, and
germinate
Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an flowering plant, angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the sp ...
in two to three weeks. The lower branches of the seedling may be pruned after a year, and the first fruit can be expected in three years, with substantial yields at five years.
Grafting
Grafting or graftage is a horticulture, horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the roots ...
, budding, and air layering can be used to propagate superior strains and advance the production schedule.
Pests and diseases
The commercial value of the fruit in its native range is limited because it is often damaged by small insects. In Brazil, the main pest that destroys the fruit is thought to be the
fruit fly. Thrips are known to attack buds, leaves, and young fruits, but in exotic locations, abiu can be relatively pest-free, especially if fruit is harvested at maturity and ripened off the tree.
Uses

The wood of the abiu tree is dense, heavy, and hard and is used as
lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
in construction.
Culinary
The fruit of the abiu tree is
edible and considered one of the best of the sapotes
due to having the sweet, caramel-like taste of
sapodilla
''Manilkara zapota'', commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, chicozapote, chicoo, chicle, naseberry, nispero, or
soapapple, among other names, is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. An example natural occurrence is ...
with a smoother texture. It is commonly eaten out of hand, although in
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, those eating the fruit this way are advised to grease their lips to keep the gummy
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...
from sticking; this hazard can be avoided by selecting fully ripe fruits and scooping out the flesh with a utensil. The tartness of a bit of added lime juice may enhance the flavor, especially when chilled. The melting, sweet pulp of the abiu is also used to flavor ice cream and cut into yogurt for a light and delicious breakfast. The subtlety of the flavor limits its use in more complex confections and salads. Abiu fruit is a significant source of calcium, phosphorus,
vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient. The term "vitamin A" encompasses a group of chemically related organic compounds that includes retinol, retinyl esters, and several provitamin (precursor) carotenoids, most not ...
, and
vitamin C
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...
.
Vernacular names
The fruit is known by different regional names in countries of production; in Brazil, it is known as ''abiu'', in Trinidad it is the yellow star apple or , there are also the purple and green skin varieties (distinct from the
star apple); Colombians know it as the , (again not to be confused with ''
Chrysophyllum cainito'', which is known as in some countries) or ; in Ecuador it is known as the or ; in Venezuela as ; in Portugal as ; in Bolivia is known as kepi; and in Ghana as ''alasa''. It is also known as ''abio''.
Notes
* Morton's book
was the original basis for this article and uncited information can be assumed to come from that source.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1650768
caimito
Crops originating from the Americas
Crops originating from Brazil
Crops originating from Colombia
Crops originating from Ecuador
Crops originating from Peru
Trees of the Amazon rainforest
Trees of Brazil
Trees of Colombia
Trees of Ecuador
Garden plants of South America
Medicinal plants
Tropical fruit
Trees of Peru
Taxa named by José Antonio Pavón Jiménez
Taxa named by Hipólito Ruiz López