Pouteria

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Sapotaceae
Subfamilia: Chrysophylloideae
Genus: Pouteria
Overview of species

P. adolfi-friedericii – P. alnifolia – P. altissima – P. amapaensis – P. amazonica – P. ambelaniifolia – P. amygdalicarpa – P. amygdalina – P. andarahiensis – P. anomala – P. anteridata – P. arcuata – P. areolatifolia – P. arguacoensium – P. aristata – P. atabapoensis – P. atlantica – P. aubrevillei – P. aurea – P. austin-smithii – P. baehniana – P. bangii – P. bapeba – P. beaurepairei – P. belizensis – P. benai – P. bilocularis – P. bonneriana – P. brachyandra – P. bracteata – P. brevensis – P. brevipetiolata – P. briocheoides – P. buenaventurensis – P. bullata – P. bulliformis – P. butyrocarpa – P. caimito – P. calistophylla – P. campanulata – P. campechiana – P. canaimaensis – P. capacifolia – P. cayennensis – P. celebica – P. chiricana – P. chocoensis – P. cicatricata – P. ciliata – P. cinnamomea – P. cladantha – P. coelomatica – P. collina – P. condorensis – P. confusa – P. cordiformis – P. coriacea – P. crassiflora – P. cubensis – P. cuspidata – P. decorticans – P. decussata – P. deliciosa – P. dictyoneura – P. dominigensis – P. doonsaf – P. durlandii – P. egregia – P. elegans – P. engleri – P. ephedrantha – P. ericoides – P. erythrochrysa – P. espinae – P. eugeniifolia – P. euryphylla – P. exfoliata – P. exstaminodia – P. filiformis – P. filipes – P. fimbriata – P. flavilatex – P. fossicola – P. foveolata – P. fragrans – P. franciscana – P. freitasii – P. fulva – P. furcata – P. gabrielensis – P. gallifructa – P. garcinioides – P. gardneri – P. gardneriana – P. gigantea – P. gillisonii – P. glauca – P. glomerata – P. gomphiifolia – P. gongrijpii – P. gracilis – P. grandiflora – P. grandis – P. guianensis – P. hexastemon – P. hotteana – P. izabalensis – P. jariensis – P. juruana – P. kaieteurensis – P. krausei – P. krukovii – P. laevigata – P. lanatifolia – P. latianthera – P. lecythidicarpa – P. leptopedicellata – P. longifolia – P. lucens – P. lucida – P. lucuma – P. lucumifolia – P. luzoniensis – P. macahensis – P. maclayana – P. macrantha – P. macrocarpa – P. macrophylla – P. maguirei – P. malaccensis – P. manaosensis – P. mattogrossensis – P. maxima – P. megaphylla – P. melanopoda – P. menait – P. micrantha – P. microstrigosa – P. minima – P. mongaguensis – P. multiflora – P. multinervis – P. nemorosa – P. nordestinensis – P. nudipetala – P. oblanceolata – P. obscura – P. opposita – P. oppositifolia – P. orinocoensis – P. orkor – P. oxyedra – P. oxypetala – P. pachycalyx – P. pachyphylla – P. pallens – P. pallida – P. pariry – P. paucinervia – P. penicillata – P. pentamera – P. peruviensis – P. petiolata – P. pierrei – P. pimichinensis – P. pisquiensis – P. platyphylla – P. plicata – P. polycarpa – P. polysepala – P. procera – P. psammophila – P. pseudoracemosa – P. puberula – P. pubescens – P. pullei – P. pullenii – P. putamen-ovi – P. quicheana – P. ramiflora – P. resinosa – P. reticulata – P. retinervis – P. rhopalocarpa – P. rhynchocarpa – P. richardii – P. ridsdalei – P. rigida – P. rigidopsis – P. rodriguesiana – P. rostrata – P. rufotomentosa – P. sagotiana – P. salicifolia – P. sambuensis – P. sapota – P. scabritesta – P. sclerocarpa – P. scrobiculata – P. semecarpifolia – P. sessiliflora – P. sessilis – P. silvestris – P. simulans – P. singularis – P. sipapoensis – P. speciosa – P. squamosa – P. stellibacca – P. stenophylla – P. stipitata – P. stipulifera – P. stylifera – P. subcaerulea – P. subrotata – P. subsessilifolia – P. superba – P. surumuensis – P. tannaense – P. tarapotensis – P. tarumanensis – P. tenuisepala – P. torta – P. trifida – P. trigonosperma – P. trilocularis – P. triplarifolia – P. ucuqui – P. undulatifolia – P. unmackiana – P. validinervis – P. valparadisaea – P. velutinicarpa – P. venosa – P. vernicosa – P. villamilii – P. virescens – P. viridis – P. wandae – P. whitmorei – P. williamii
Name

Pouteria Aubl. Hist. Pl. Guiane 1: 85–86, pl. 33. (1775)

Type species: Pouteria guianensis Aubl., Hist. Pl. Guiane 1: 86 (1775)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Sapota Plum. ex Mill. Gard. Dict. Abr. (ed. 6) Sapota. (1771) nom. illeg. hom.
Lucuma Molina, Sag. Stor. Nat. Chili: 186 (1782)
Labatia Sw., Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ.: 32 (1788), nom. cons.
Chaetocarpus Schreb., Gen. Pl.: 75 (1789), nom. rej. non Chaetocarpus Thwaites, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 6: 300. (1854) (Peraceae)
Prozetia Neck., Elem. Bot. 1: 225 (1790), opus utique oppr.
Guapebeira Gomes, Observ. Bot.-Med. Nonnullis Bras. Pl. 1: 15 (1803)
Guapeba Gomes, Mem. Math. Phis. Acad. Real Sci. Lisboa 3(Mem. Corr.): t. 2 (1812)
Caleatia Mart. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 2: 76 (1841), pro syn.
Oxythece Miq. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 7: 105 (1863), nom. illeg.
Franchetella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 24 (1890)
Gayella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 26 (1890)
Paralabatia Pierre, Not. Bot.: 231 (1890)
Radlkoferella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 21 (1890)
Richardella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 19 (1890)
Urbanella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 25 (1890)
Discoluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 290 (1891)
Englerella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 46 (1891)
Eremoluma Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 2: 925 (1891)
Gomphiluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 285 (1891).
Krugella Pierre, Not. Bot.: 50 (1891).
Leioluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 285 (1891).
Malacantha Pierre, Not. Bot.: 60 (1891).
Microluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 290 (1891)
Myrtiluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 283 (1891)
Nemaluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 293 (1891)
Podoluma Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 290 (1891)
Pseudocladia Pierre, Not. Bot.: 49 (1891)
Calocarpum Pierre in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., Nachtr. 1: 274 (1897)
Achradelpha O.F.Cook, J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 3: 158 (1913)
Barylucuma Ducke, Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 4: 161 (1925)
Syzygiopsis Ducke, Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 4: 158 (1925)
Aningeria Aubrév. & Pellegr., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 795 (1934 publ. 1935)
Aningueria Aubrév. & Pellegr. in A.Aubréville, Fl. Forest. Côte d'Ivoire 3: 111 (1936)
Caramuri Aubrév. & Pellegr., Adansonia, n.s., 1: 13 (1961)
Neoxythece Aubrév. & Pellegr., Adansonia, n.s., 1: 16 (1961)
Eglerodendron Aubrév. & Pellegr., Adansonia, n.s., 1: 167 (1962)
Pseudolabatia Aubrév. & Pellegr., Adansonia, n.s., 1: 159 (1962)
Sandwithiodoxa Aubrév. & Pellegr., Adansonia, n.s., 1: 163 (1962)
Ichthyophora Baehni, Arch. Sci. 17(1): 77 (1964)
Neolabatia Aubrév., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 203 (1972), nom. illeg.
Pseudoxythece Aubrév., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 219 (1972)
Peteniodendron Lundell, Wrightia 5: 254 (1976)
Piresodendron Aubrév. ex Le Thomas, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B, Adansonia 1983: 140 (1983)

References

Aublet, J.B.C.F. (1775) Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Françoise, 1: 85–86, pl. 33. BHL
Alves-Araújo, A., Swenson, U. & Alves, M.V.da S. 2014. A taxonomic survey of Pouteria (Sapotaceae) from the northern portion of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil. Systematic Botany 39(3): 915–938. DOI: 10.1600/036364414X681428 Paywall Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2015. Pouteria in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2015 Feb. 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2015. Pouteria. Published online. Accessed: Feb.24 2015.
Tropicos.org 2015. Pouteria. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2015 Feb. 24.

Vernacular names
suomi: Poutapuut

Pouteria is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical regions of the world. It includes the canistel (P. campechiana), the Mamey sapote (P. sapota), and the lucuma (P. lucuma). Commonly, this genus is known as pouteria trees, or in some cases, eggfruits.

Pouteria is related to Manilkara, another genus that produces hard and heavy woods (e.g. balatá, M. bidentata) used commonly for tropical construction, as well as edible fruit (such as sapodilla, M. zapota).

Uses
Fruits of P. ramiflora

Many species, like Pouteria maclayana[2] have edible fruits and are important foods, seasonally. Some are being commercially collected and sold on local markets or packed in cans.

Pouteria species yield hard, heavy, resilient woods used as firewood and timber, but particularly in outdoor and naval construction, such as dock pilings, deckings, etc. Some species, such as abiu (P. caimito), are considered to be shipworm resistant; however, this depends on the silica content, which may vary from 0.0-0.9%. The weight by volume (at 12% moisture content) of Pouteria wood can be in excess of 1140 kg/m3 (71 lb/ft3; thus, the wood sinks in water. The wood of Pouteria species is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out, but in its main use, naval construction, this is not a problem, since the wood never gets really dry.

The vessel elements are relatively small and usually di- to quadriseriate; the medullary rays are fine and close together. Pouteria woods are capable of attaining an excellent polish using fine-grained sandpaper and possibly some wax. They can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background colour. However, the wood is hardly used for furniture because it is so dense that items made from it would be difficult to transport. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to work using hand tools. Even using power tools, working these woods presents some problems, as well, but given some patience and practical knowledge, these can easily be solved.

For the silica to be effective against shipworms, it needs to dry to some degree to harden. When the wood is continually waterlogged, this process may take place very slowly or not at all, leaving the wood vulnerable.

Pouteria foliage is used as food by some Lepidoptera caterpillars, including those of the dalcerid moth Dalcera abrasa, which has been recorded on P. ramiflora. The fruits are important food for various animals, such as the rock-haunting ringtail possum (Petropseudes dahli).

Due to habitat loss and in some cases overexploitation, many species of Pouteria are threatened. At least 10 are close to extinction, and one – the Rio de Janeiro pouteria (P. stenophylla), which grew near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, is now extinct.
Systematics and taxonomy

Pouteria is a "wastebasket taxon", and its size is continually being expanded or decreased. The segregate Labatia, described by Olof Swartz in 1788 and named after the French botanist Jean-Baptiste Labat, was maintained as a distinct entity until the 1930s, when it was finally synonymized with Pouteria for good. Most segregated genera that were eventually merged with Pouteria again were established by Henri Ernest Baillon and Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre.[1]
Selected species

Formerly placed here

Englerophytum magalismontanum (as P. magalismontana)
Synsepalum dulcificum (Miracle Fruit, as P. dulcifica)

Synonyms

Due to the uncertainty regarding its actual content, the number of synonyms of Pouteria is massive – at least when the genus is defined in the expanded sense:[1]

Achradelpha O.F.Cook
Albertisiella Pierre ex Aubrév.
Aningeria Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Barylucuma Ducke
Beauvisagea Pierre
Beccarimnia Pierre ex Koord.
Blabea Baehni
Blabeia Baehni
Bureavella Pierre
Calocarpum Pierre
Calospermum Pierre
Caramuri Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Chaetocarpus Schreb. (non Thwaites: preoccupied)
Daphniluma Baill.
Discoluma Baill.
Dithecoluma Baill.
Eglerodendron Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Englerella Pierre
Eremoluma Baill.
Fontbrunea Pierre
Franchetella Pierre
Gayella Pierre
Gomphiluma Baill.
Guapeba Gomes
Hormogyne A.DC.
Ichthyophora Baehni
Iteiluma Baill.
Krausella H.J.Lam
Krugella Pierre
Labatia Sw.
Leioluma Baill.
Lucuma Molina
Maesoluma Baill.
Malacantha Pierre
Microluma Baill.
Myrsiniluma Baill.
Myrtiluma Baill.
Nemaluma Baill.
Neolabatia Aubrév.
Neoxythece Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Ochroluma Baill.
Oxythece Miq.
Paralabatia Pierre
Peteniodendron Lundell
Peuceluma Baill.
Piresodendron Aubrév. ex Le Thomas
Pleioluma Baill.
Podoluma Baill.
Poissonella Pierre
"Prozetia" Neck. (nom. inval.)
Pseudocladia Pierre
Pseudolabatia Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Pseudoxythece Aubrév.
Pyriluma (Baill.) Aubrév.
Radlkoferella Pierre
Richardella Pierre
Sandwithiodoxa Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Siderocarpus ierre
Syzygiopsis Ducke
Urbanella Pierre
Woikoia Baehni
Wokoia Baehni

In addition, the following genera are sometimes included in Pouteria too:[1]

"Beccariella" Pierre (non Cesati: preoccupied)
Boerlagella Cogn.
Planchonella Pierre
Sersalisia R.Br.
Van-royena Aubrév.

Footnotes

USDA (2009)
Paper from the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies

Little Jr., Elbert L.; Roger G. Skolmen (1989). "ʻĀlaʻa" (PDF). United States Forest Service. [permanent dead link]

References

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (1996): Germplasm Resources Information Network – Pouteria. Version of 2009-Mar-31. Retrieved 2009-Nov-15.