Mammee

Description

Mammea americana, commonly known as mammee, mammee apple, mamey, mamey apple, Santo Domingo apricot, tropical apricot, or South American apricot, is an evergreen tree of the family Calophyllaceae, whose fruit is edible. It has also been classified as belonging to the family Guttiferae Juss. (1789), which would make it a relative of the mangosteen. In certain Latin American countries, Mammea americana is referred to as "yellow mamey" (Spanish: mamey amarillo) to distinguish it from the unrelated but similar-looking Pouteria sapota, whose fruit is usually called "red mamey" (mamey colorado or mamey rojo). The mammee tree is 18–21 m (59–69 ft) high and is similar in appearance to the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). Its trunk is short and reaches 1.9–2.2 m (6 ft 3 in – 7 ft 3 in) in diameter. The tree's upright branches form an oval head. Its dark-green foliage is quite dense, with opposite, leathery, elliptical leaves. The leaves can reach 10 cm (3.9 in) wide and twice as long. The mammee flower is fragrant, has four or six white petals, and reaches 2.5–4.0 cm (0.98–1.57 in) wide when fully blossomed. The flowers are borne either singly or in clusters of two or three, on short stalks. A single flower can have pistils, stamens, or both, so flowers can be male, female or hermaphrodite on one tree. The mammee apple is a berry, though it is often misinterpreted to be a drupe. It is round or slightly irregular, with a brown or grey-brown 3-mm-thick rind. In fact, the rind consists of the exocarp and mesocarp of the fruit, while the pulp is formed from the endocarp. The stem is thick and short. The mammee apple has more or less visible floral remnant at the apex. Mammee apples' diameters range from 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in). When unripe, the fruit is hard and heavy, but its flesh slightly softens when fully ripe. Beneath the skin is a white, dry membrane, whose taste is astringent, and adheres to the flesh. The flesh is orange or yellow, not fibrous, and can have various textures (crispy or juicy, firm, or tender). Generally, the flesh smell is pleasant and appetizing. Small fruits contain a single seed, while larger ones might have up to four. The seeds are brown, rough, and oval, and around 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The juice of the seed leaves an indelible stain. Propagation can be done by seed. Germination takes place from 60–260 days. Grafting is the preferred method of propagation.