Chrysobalanus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Chrysobalanaceae
Genus: Chrysobalanus
Species: C. cuspidatus – C. icaco – C. prancei
Name

Chrysobalanus L., Sp. Pl.: 513 (1753).

Type species: Chrysobalanus icaco L.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Icaco Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 305 (1763).

References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 513. Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Chrysobalanus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 08. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Chrysobalanus. Published online. Accessed: October 08 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Chrysobalanus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 October 08.

Vernacular names

Chrysobalanus is a genus of evergreen perennial shrubs to small trees, described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.[2][3] It is native to sub-tropical and tropical regions of Africa, Latin America, and Florida.[1][4][5][6]

Chrysobalanus attains a maximum height of 25 or 30 feet (8–10 m). It is found in coastal areas as a wild plant, and is frequently planted in gardens. It has a low-growing and sprawling habit. It can form dense stands and become invasive. The leaves are obovate or obcordate in outline, about 2in long, thick, glossy, and deep green in color. It has small white flowers, in axillary racemes or cymes, not too showy, but they have a dainty and sweet fragrance. This plant bears a damson-sized edible red pulpy fruit with a black and thin skin, resembles a large plum in appearance, being oval 1.5in long. The sweet fruits with white flesh, which is cottony and of insipid taste, adheres closely to the large oblong seed turn from creamy tones to dark-blue pleasing tasty peaches which can be made into a sweet preserved jam, made by the earliest arrivals to the low-lying Florida peninsula. The fruit is extensively used in the tropics.[7]
Species

Species from Kew Monocot Checklist:[1]

Chrysobalanus cuspidatus Griseb. ex Duss - Lesser Antilles
Chrysobalanus icaco L. (coco plum) - tropical Africa, Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America, Florida
Chrysobalanus venezuelanus G.T.Prance - SE Venezuela, N Brazil

References

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 513
Tropicos, Chrysobalanus L.
Botanica Sistematica
Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Ellison, Don (1999) Cultivated Plants of the World. London: New Holland (1st ed.: Brisbane: Flora Publications International, 1995) ISBN 1-85974-256-4