Bakupari

8/19/2019 Bakupari

1/4

Index | Search | Home | Morton

Morton, J. 1987. Bakupari. p. 309–310. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F.

Morton, Miami, FL.

Bakupari

Rheedia brasiliensis Planch. & Triana

Of the approximately 45 species of Rheedia (family Guttiferae), several haveedible fruits. Perhaps the best-known is the bakupari, R. brasiliensis Planch.

& Triana, which is also known as bacupary or bacoropary in Brazil; asguapomo in Bolivia.

The very attractive tree is pyramidal like that of the bakuri but smaller; isequally rich in yellow latex. The leaves are short-petioled, ovate,

oblong-ovate or lanceolate, narrowed at the base, blunt or slightly pointed at

the apex, and leathery. The flowers, profuse in axillary clusters, arepolygamous. The fruit, ovate, pointed at the apex, may be 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in

(3.2-4 cm) long, with orange-yellow, pliable, leathery, tough skin, 1/8 in (3mm) thick and easily removed. The aril-like pulp is white, translucent, soft,

subacid, of excellent flavor, and encloses 2 rounded seeds.

The tree grows wild in the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil andadjacent Paraguay; is rarely cultivated. It blooms in December and matures

its fruit in January and February. The ripe fruit is mostly used in makingsweetmeats or jam.

The seeds contain 8 to 9% oil (by weight) which is used in Brazil in poulticeson wounds, whitlows, tumors and, externally, over an enlarged liver. An

infusion of the pulp has a narcotic action with an effect like that of nicotine.

The root bark extract contains rheediaxanthone and a polyprenylated

benzophenone, other lesser constituents, and 3 new prenylated xanthones.

Related Species

The mameyito, R. edulis Triana & Planch. (syn. Calophyllum edule Seem.), isalso known as arrayan and palo de frutilla in Guatemala; waiki plum inBelize; chaparrón in El Salvador; caimito or caimito de montaña in Honduras;

jorco in Costa Rica; sastra in Panama; berba in the Philippines.

The elegant, erect tree, ranging up to 100 ft (30 m), has copious gummy,

yellow latex and opposite, short-petioled, thick, leathery, elliptic-oblong orelliptic-lanceolate leaves, 3 3/16 to 6 in (8-15 cm) long, 3/4 to 2 in (2-5 cm)

Bakupari https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/bakupa...

1 of 4 28/03/16 04:59

8/19/2019 Bakupari

2/4

Fig. 83-b: Peeled mangosteens, in

light sirup, canned in Thailand, areappearing in Asiatic food outlets in

the United States.1 According to the

Wall Street Journal, April 7, 1987,fresh fruits, cut open, inspected,sealed with tape, and quick-frozen,

are exported from Malaysia to Japan

where they sell readily at nearly $4each. They are defrosted in boiling

water for 2 minutes before eating.

wide, or much larger, with numerous

lateral veins conspicuous on bothsurfaces; dark-green above, pale or

brownish on the underside. Youngfoliage is reddish. The small,

greenish-white or ivory flowers, densely

clustered below the leaves, are4-petalled, the male with 25 to 30

stamens, the perfect with 10 to 12. Thefruit is oval or oblong, 3/4 to 1 1/4 in

(2-3.2 cm) long, smooth, orange or

yellow, the thin, soft skin easily peeled.There is a little flesh, sweet or acid,

adhering to the 1 or 2 seeds.

The tree is native and common in

humid forests on both the Atlantic andPacific sides of Central America, fromsouthern Mexico to Panama, up to an

elevation of 4,000 ft (1,200 m). It isoften planted in Central America as a

shade or ornamental tree. It has been

grown in the Philippines, Puerto Ricoand California. The fruits mature from late January to March in Costa Rica.

The heartwood is rose-yellow, hard, medium-heavy, coarse-textured, with

numerous gum ducts, but tough, strong, easy to work, fairly durable, and valued for construction because it is nearly immune to insects. It is also used

for tool handles, fenceposts, and temporary railroad ties. The bark is rich intannin.

The bacuripari, R. macrophylla Planch. & Triana, is also called bacury-pary in Brazil; charichuela in Peru.

It is a pyramidal tree, 26 to 40 ft (8-12 m) tall, with stiff, leathery, lanceolate-oblong or broad-lanceolate leaves, 12 to 18 in (30-45 cm) long and 3 to 7 in

(8-18 cm) wide, pointed at both ends, with numerous lateral, nearlyhorizontal veins. New foliage is maroon. The 4-petalled, male and femaleflowers are home in small axillary clusters on separate trees, the male on

delicate stalks to 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long and having numerous stamens, the

female on thick, short stalks and sometimes having a few stamens withsterile anthers.

The fruit is rounded-conical, pointed at one or both ends, about 3 3/16 in (8cm) wide, with thick yellow rind, usually smooth, sometimes rough,

containing gummy yellow latex. The white, aril-like pulp, agreeably subacid,

encloses 3 to 4 oblong seeds.


2 of 4 28/03/16 04:59

8/19/2019 Bakupari

3/4

The tree is native to humid forests of Surinam and Brazil to northern Peru.

The fruit is not much esteemed but widely eaten and sold in native markets.The bacuripari was introduced into Florida in 1962 and planted at the

Agricultural Research and Education Center in Homestead, at FairchildTropical Garden and in several private gardens. One tree fruited in 1970,

another in 1972, and the latter has continued to bear. Young specimens have

been killed by drops in temperature to 29º to 30º F (-1.67º--1.11º C). Oldertrees have been little harmed by 27º to 28º F (-2.78º--2.22º C). The tree is

accustomed to light-to moderate-shade. Seeds have remained viable for 2 to3 weeks but require several weeks to germinate.

In Brazil, the tree blooms from August to November and the fruits mature

from December to May. In Florida, flowers appear in April and May and asecond time in August and September, and the fruits are in season from May

to August and again in October and November. Some 15-to 20-year-old treeshave produced 100 to 200 fruits when there have been no adverse weather

conditions.

The madroño, R. madruno Planch. & Triana, may be called machari or frutade mono in Panama; cerillo in Costa Rica; cozoiba in Venezuela; kamururu inBolivia.

The tree is erect, lush, compact, with pyramidal or nearly round crown, 20 to

65 ft (6-20 in) high, and has much gummy yellow latex. The opposite leavesare elliptic to oblong, wedge-shaped at the base, rounded or pointed at the

apex, 2 3/8 to 8 in (6-20 cm) long, 3/4 to 3 in (2-7.5 cm) wide; dark green

above, paler beneath, with numerous veins conspicuous on both surfaces andmerging into a thick marginal vein. The fragrant male and female flowers are

borne on separate trees in clusters of up to 14 in the leaf axils; have 4

reflexed, pale-yellow petals; the male, 25 to 30 light-yellow stamens. Thefruit is round or ellipsoidal, sometimes with a prominent nipple at each end;

2 to 3 in (5-7.5 cm) long, with thick, leathery, warty, greenish-yellow rindcontaining a deep-yellow, resinous latex. The white, translucent, juicy,

sweet-acid, aromatic pulp adheres tightly to the 1 to 3 ovate or oblong seeds

which are about 3/4 in (2 cm) long.

The tree is native to the Golfo Dulce region of Costa Rica, the Atlantic slopeof Panama, and northern South America–Colombia and Ecuador through Venezuela to Guyana and Bolivia. It is particularly common in the Cauca

Valley of Colombia where the fruits are marketed in quantity. It is limited to

elevations below 4,000 ft (1,200 in). Dr. Wilson Popenoe collected seeds forthe United States Department of Agriculture near Palmira, Colombia, in 1921

(S.P.I. #52301). The tree was introduced into Puerto Rico in 1923 and intothe Philippines at about the same time. A few old trees have been fruiting

more or less in southern Florida for many years, in midsummer. In Costa

Rica, flowers are borne from December to February and fruits from May to

August.


3 of 4 28/03/16 04:59

8/19/2019 Bakupari

4/4

The yellow latex of the tree is used in Panama to treat ulcers and other sores.

The wood is pinkish and hard but not commonly used.

Fig. 83-b: Peeled mangosteens, in light sirup, canned in Thailand, are

appearing in Asiatic food outlets in the United States.1 According to the WallStreet Journal, April 7, 1987, fresh fruits, cut open, inspected, sealed with

tape, and quick-frozen, are exported from Malaysia to Japan where they sellreadily at nearly $4 each. They are defrosted in boiling water for 2 minutes

before eating.

Last updated: 3/26/116 by ch


4 of 4 28/03/16 04:59

Documents

Bakupari