Blighia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Sapindales

Familia: Sapindaceae
Subfamilia: Sapindoideae
Tribus: Nephelieae
Genus: Blighia
Species: B. sapida – B. unijugata – B. welwitschii
Name

Blighia K.D.Koenig
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Akea Stokes
Akeesia Tussac
Bonannia Raf.
Phialodiscus Radlk.

References

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Blighia in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Mar. 29. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Blighia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Blighia is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, native to tropical Africa from Guinea east to Kenya. The fruit is partly edible, with the Ackee (B. sapida) being grown commercially for fruit production. The genus is named for Captain William Bligh (formerly of HMS Bounty), who brought samples back to England.

The species are evergreen trees growing to 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves. The flowers are produced in small panicles. The fruit is an oval capsule 4–8 centimetres (2–3 in) long containing three seeds, each surrounded by an edible fleshy yellow aril, and a thick, leathery orange or red skin; the fruit apart from the aril is very poisonous.
Selected species

Blighia sapida - Ackee
Blighia unijugata
Blighia welwitschii

References

"Blighia K. D. Koenig". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2006-03-29. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2010-01-19.