Jacaratia spinosa

Description

Jacaratia spinosa (known as wild mango, or mamoeiro-bravo and mamãozinho in Brazil, and yacaratiá tree in Argentina) is a species of tree, in the genus Jacaratia of the family Caricaceae (the papaya family). It is found in the tropical dry forests of central and southern Mexico, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Its stem is used as a main ingredient in the manufacturing of candy. Its fruit is also appreciated by many animals including monkeys and birds. It is a deciduous tree with an open and narrow crown and can grow up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall. It is armed with conical spines that are short and stout. The fruit of the yacaratiá tree is eaten by a variety of animals including lowland tapirs, brown howler monkeys, white-lipped peccaries, collared peccaries, white-eared opossums, Argentine black and white tegus, southern muriqui, humans, and birds. The fruit of this tree are edible raw or cooked. Although if eaten raw, the skin must be scored for some time in order to release a copious latex.