Chrysophyllum oliviforme (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Chrysophyllum oliviforme L.

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonyms

• Chrysophyllum monopyrenum Swartz.

Vernacular names

• Satinleaf tree (En)
• Malaysia: buah susu
• Philippines: caimitillo (Tagalog).

Distribution

Originating from tropical America where it is also cultivated. Introduced and cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, Hawaii.

Uses

The soft and sweet flesh of the fruit is edible. Also cultivated as an ornamental.

Observations

• Tree, up to 15 m tall.
• Leaves simple, alternate.
• Inflorescences with 5-10 flowers.
• Fruit an ovoid berry, about 1.5-2 cm × 1 cm, crowned with remains of the style, purplish-black; flesh purple with white milky juice.
• Seed 1, ovoid to ellipsoid, about 1.5 cm long.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2nd ed. 2 Volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.

• Vink, W., 1958. Revision of the Sapotaceae of the Malaysian area in a wider sense. 13. Chrysophyllum L. Blumea 9: 21-74.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen