[For
teaching purposes only; do not review, quote or abstract] <Economic Plants Index> <Main Menu>
[ This Section may require several minutes to download]
Fruits of Tropical & Sub-Tropical
Regions
(Contacts)
Please CLICK on Underlined
Categories to view:
[ to search for Subject
Matter, depress Ctrl/F ]:
Citrus Fruits Oranges
Sweet Orange Sour Orange
Mandarin Orange Grapefruit
Lemon Lime Kumquat Citron Minor Citrus
Non-Citrus Tropical Fruits Banana
Custard Apples Cherimoya
Sweetsop Soursop True Custard Apple Dates Durian Fig
Common Figs Smyrna Figs
San Pedro Figs Granadilla
Guava Jujube Lychee Loquat Mango Mangosteen
Mamey Olive
Papaya
Persimmon
Pineapple Pomegranate
Sapodilla Tamarind
Minor Tropical Fruits Bilimbi
Otaheite
Gooseberry
Natal Plum
Barbados Cherry Tree Tomato
Naranjilla
===========================================================================================================
|
This section continues with the discussion of fruits
from the previous Fruits
of Temperate Regions.
There are thousands of tropical fruits. Many of them are consumed locally on a daily basis. There are over 250 edible fruits in the
Philippines alone. The tropics have
the capacity to produce large quantities of fruit and international trade is
adding new kinds as rapid shipment possibilities increase. Some tropical frutis such as the banana,
mango and pineapple are now as familiar as the apple and pear in temperate
regions. In comparison with fruits of
temperate regions, many tropical species have been much neglected in international
markets. Tropical edible fruits are
particularly important in the families Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Myrtaceae,
Eutaceae, Sapotaceae and Sapindaceae.
Of these the Rutaceae is the best known and most important for it
includes the citrus fruits. Citrus was domesticated from wild ancestors in Eastern
and Southern Asia in ancient times.
Some species have been cultivated since before 1,000 B.C. They were at times grown for other reasons
than as food. Citron, for example,
was planted in the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon for use in toilet water
and pomades. These fruits were early
introduced into the Mediterranean region where they have always been an
important crop. There are over 100
species of Citrus described, many of which are undoubtedly of hybrid
origin. However, only a few ever
became of commercial importance. Citrus trees are thorny aromatic with leathery
evergreen leaves that are dotted glandularly. Although they appear simple, they are actually unifoliate
compound leaves with a joint between the leaf blade and the stalk. The white or purplish flowers are
solitary, but produced in great abundance, and they are often very fragrant. The fruit is a modified berry known as a
hesperidium. This type has a thick
leathery rind with numerous oil glands.
The flesh is very juicy with many juice sacs. A notable feature of these plants is the
fact that they do not develop root hairs and are dependent on
mycorrhiza. These are fungi that are
closely associated with the roots and are for the absorption of liquids. Citrus cultivation is carried out on a large
scale. It is usually grown at sea
level where sufficient moisture is readily available, or under irrigation. Any well-drained soil, except an extremely
sandy one, is suitable. The various
species differ in their resistance to cold, but generally a temperature
ranging from 14-120 deg. Fahrenheit is best.
Mostly budding propagates them.
The species hybridize readily both in the wild and in cultivation, and
there is a great tendency to form “sports.” Citrus is grown worldwide although they are tropical
plants so that most of the commercial groves are in subtropical regions. The fruits ripen at different times of the
year depending on the species and variety.
Oranges and grapefruit are allowed to ripen on the trees, while lemons
and limes are picked green. The United States has led the world in the production
of citrus fruits. Florida and
California are the principal states, while Texas, Arizona, Alabama,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia have a small acreage. The Mediterranean countries are second
with Spain, Portugal, Italy and Palestine being the most important. The West Indies, Mexico and Central
America are of increasing importance.
Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, China and Japan are also
large producers. Grapefruit and oranges are highly prized as table
fruits. Apart from their
palatability, they constitute a valuable addition to the human diet. All citrus fruits contain considerable
quantities of the essential Vitamin C, the antiscorbutic vitamin, as well as
fruit acids. They are also made into
marmalade and various confections.
Canned products, especially in the case of the grapefruit, have been
developed. Both the flesh and the
juice are preserved in this way.
Frequently the juice of citrus fruits is more important than the fruit
itself and it is widely used both in alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Frozen juice is readily available. The rind of nearly all citrus yields a
valuable essential oil. The dried
waste pulp is an excellent cattle feed.
Other by-products include citric acid, various glucosides and pectin. Citrus sinensis is indigenous to Southeastern
Asia, most likely China or Cochin China.
It was first cultivated sometime between 1,500 and 1,000 B.C. It arrived in India very early in history
and was carried to Europe by Genoese traders early in the 15th Century. Spain was responsible for its introduction
into America. It reached Florida in
1565 and California in 1769. The tree is a small evergreen with slender blunt spines. It grows upward to 20 ft. in height under
cultivation. The leaves have
narrow-winged petioles and the flowers are white and very fragrant. The fruit is almost round, with an
abundant, sweet, solid pulp and spindle-shaped juice sacs. Seeds are usually present but may be
sparse or absent. The orange is the
hardiest member of the genus and can be grown in any warm dry climate where
the soil is fertile and well watered.
At first it was grown from seed, but today most plants are budded or
grafted. Several types of sweet
oranges have been developed: Spanish
oranges, with large coarse-grained fruits; Mediterranean varieties, with
fine-grained fruits; blood oranges with a red pulp, or streaked red and
white; and the navel oranges, which are mostly seedless and characterized by
the navel at one end. This is formed
by the protrusion of additional carpels produced inside the flesh. Oranges contain 5-10 percent sugar, 1-2
percent citric acid and Vitamin C. In the United States California leads in the production
of oranges. The cultivation of two
different varieties enables harvest the year round. The most important of these is the Washington
Navel or Bahia Orange. This mostly seedless orange originated in
Brazil, but in the California climate has become the great commercial orange
of the world. It is the largest
variety, with a thick bright-orange skin, and bears during the winter
months. Another variety, the Robertson Navel has a thin skin but is not as
productive. There is also a Summer Navel Orange that does well in cooler
weather. The three types have
slightly different growth habits, with the Summer Navel being the fastest
grower and very prolific bearer with large fruit. A smaller Valencia Orange, a
Spanish type with seeds is grown in California and also in Florida, Texas,
Arizona and Louisiana. Sweet orange
production is also high in Brazil, Spain, Italy, Palestine and Mexico. In California during the latter 20th
Century some new varieties of Valencia orange were developed that had large
fruits with easily peeled skins. Also
a sport of the Navel Orange, the Trovita Orange,
which bears off and on year round, is very sweet with large fruit and seeds. The principal use of sweet oranges is for fresh fruit
and juice. The peel is candied and
oil of orange is extracted from the rind.
This essential oil is used in the perfume and soap industries, in
medicine and for flavoring.
Dissolving a small amount of the oil in alcohol makes orange
extract. Orange trees are
occasionally grown for ornamental purposes. Sour orange, Citrus aurantium, also called the
Bitter, Bigarade or Seville orange, is also
native to Southeastern Asia. This plant
was brought to Spain by the Arabs in ancient times and was cultivated there
several thousand years before the sweet orange. It is a small tree, 20-30 ft. in height with blunt spines. The petioles have broad wings. The flowers are exceedingly fragrant and
are the source of the oil of neroli, used in perfumery. The large, globose, orange-red fruits are
rough and have a very acid pulp.
However, the flesh is of good quality with small spindle-shaped juice
sacs. A hollow core develops at the
center when the fruit is ripe. In
America the sour orange is grown chiefly for ornamental purposes and as stock
in grafting. It is grown in Spain
extensively where the fruits are used for marmalade, orangeade and candied
orange peel. The essential oil
obtained from the rind is used in perfumery, medicine, and in the manufacture
of the liqueur Curaçao Bergamot Orange, Citrus aurantium
subsp. bergamia, is a small spiny tree with golden-yellow pear-shaped
fruit. The pulp is very acid and
inedible. This variety is grown in
the Mediterranean region as a source of the essential oil of bergamot. Mandarin Orange, Citrus reticulata, comprises
the so-called glove oranges: the
orange-yellow mandarins and the reddish-orange tangerines. The tree is native to China and Cochin
China. The small round fruits have a
peel that is easily removed and segments that separate readily. They are widely grown in Japan, South
Europe and the Gulf States of America, mainly Florida, Alabama and
Mississippi. The Satsuma orange is a
small very hardy type with a deep-orange pulp and few seeds. In California during the late 20th Century
several new varieties of mandarin or tangerine had been developed with a
variety of excellent flavors. Often named as a separate species, Citrus nobilis,
the King Orange is probably a hybrid between a sweet orange and a
mandarin. It was introduced into the
United States in 1882. It bears
heavily, is frost tolerant and the sweet slightly acid flesh with broad blunt
juice sacs is very palatable. This
fruit has nevertheless not been very much in demand. The origin of the grapefruit, Citrus paradisi,
is somewhat doubtful. But there is
some consensus that it originated in Barbados, West Indies as a sport of the
shaddock or possibly as a hybrid with the sweet orange. Nevertheless, there is the possibility
that it may have been introduced from the Old World. Grapefruit is a vigorous tree, 20-40 ft. in height with
winged petioles. The round or
pear-shaped, pale-yellow, smooth fruits are produced in clusters. They are the larges of the edible citrus
fruits, weighing from 2-12 lbs. and with a diameter of 4-6 in. The skin is thin with many inconspicuous
oil glands. The flesh is acid or sub
acid and mildly bitter, with large spindle-shaped juice sacs. The plant was brought to Florida from the West Indies
in 1809 and was used as an ornamental tree until 1880. In the United States Florida, Texas,
Arizona and California produce the major portion of the crop. There are different varieties, with the
Florida Indian River and California Coachella White varieties having the best
quality. The Rio Red Grapefruit with excellent flavor was
developed for South Texas, but it also does very well in Southern
California. The Oro
Blanco variety was developed for California’s cooler climatic zones
where other varieties did not sweeten adequately. Variable acreage occurs in the West Indies, Middle East and
South Africa. Lemon, Citrus limon, is believed to be native to
Southeastern Asia where it has been grown since ancient times. It reached India at an early date as
witnessed by the existence of a Sanskrit word for it. It has been grown in the Mediterranean
region since the days of the Greek and Roman civilizations, and ahs always
been especially well adapted to that area.
The tree is small, 10-20 ft. in height with short spines and large
white and purple flowers. The small,
light-yellow oval fruits end in a blunt point. The fruit should be picked when yellow when it has peaked in
flavor. However, commercial sources
often pick the fruit green and later it is ripened in storage. lemons contain 1/2 percent sugar and 5
percent citric acid. The juice is
used for lemonade and other beverages and as a flavoring, bleaching agent and
stain remover. Commercial production
is restricted to climates with low-frost winters. California has produced the majority of lemons with Spain and
Argentina following. The rind is the
source of oil of lemon. Lime, Citrus aurantifolia, was first
domesticated in the East Indies. it
is very susceptible to cold and is a distinctly tropical plant. It is a low straggling shrub or small tree
with numerous very sharp spines and small white flowers. The fruits vary in sice from 1.25 to 3 in.
in diameter depending on the variety.
They are thin skinned with an abundant acid pulp and oval pointed
juice sacs. The lime is one of the
sourest fruits and is not eaten directly.
it is grown mainly for the juice that is often extracted and shipped
in a raw or concentrated form. Lime
juice is used in beverages, as a source of citric acid and medicinally to
prevent scurvy. Although famous for
the latter purpose, lime juice contains only one-quarter as much Vitamin C as
either grapefruit or oranges. Limes
are grown to some extent throughout the tropics and are of commercial
importance in Egypt, Mexico, The West Indies, Florida and California. The Barss Lime or
Tahitian Lime is a large seedless variety
that has some frost resistance. Oil
of lime is expressed from the rind. Kumquats, Fortunella spp.,
are the smallest of the citrus fruits.
They are small evergreen shrubs with white flowers that smell like
ants, and golden-yellow fruits produced in clusters. The fruits vary from 1-2 inches in
diameter with a thick spicy rind, acid flesh and small seeds. They are grown for ornamental purposes and
for their fruit, either eaten whole or preserved. Two species that are commercially grown are F. japonica
with globose fruits and F. margarita with oval fruits. Citron, Citrus medica, is the oldest of the citrus
fruits and the first to be known in Europe as early as the 4th Century
B.C. It is believed to have
originated in Northern India and has long been cultivated in Southeastern
Asia. It was described by
Theophrastus from Babylon (Hill 1952).
The citron is a small thorny tree with attractive purple and white
flowers and a fruit that resembles a large lemon. It is fragrant, greenish yellow in color, oblong in shape and
from 6-9 inches in length. The skin
is thick and tough and the acid pulp is low in volume. Commercial citron is the candied
rind. It is prepared by treating the
fruit with brine to remove the bitter oil.
This also brings out the flavor and aroma and prevents decay. The rind is then candied in a sugar and
glucose solution. Citron is one of
the best and most expensive of the condiments. Citron is cultivated mainly in Corsica, Sicily, Greece and the
West Indies. The essential oil of
cedrat used in perfumery is expressed from the rind. Citrus grandis, also known as Pomelo,
is indigenous to Malaya and Polynesia.
Several varieties are grown in Southern Asia. The fruit appears like a grapefruit, but
it is much larger, sometimes growing to the size of a watermelon and weighing
10-20 lbs. It is more pear-shaped,
with larger juice sacs and a hollow core, and it has a coarse thick rind and
thick leathery septa. The reddish
flesh is aromatic and spicy, but quite bitter. Captain Shaddock, for whom it was named, introduced it into the
West Indies. It is believed that the
shaddock gave rise to the grapefruit. Poncirus trifoliata is indigenous in China and
Japan. It is a low tree with large
spines and trifoliate deciduous leaves.
For this reason it was segregated from Citrus. The white flowers are produced before the
leaves. The rough hairy orange fruits
have a bitter, gummy, inedible pulp.
The plant is very hardy and is used to form hybrids and as a rootstock
for grafting the other citrus fruits.
It has been cultivated as an ornamental as far north as New York. Efforts to produce edible citrus fruits that are
hardier than oranges led to the formation of many hybrids. Some of these such as the Citrange, a hybrid between the trifoliate and the
sweet orange, may be grown in the Southern United States. Others include the Tangelo
(grapefruit X tangerine), Limequat (lime X
kumquat), Orangequat (orange X kumquat), Citrangequat (kumquat X citrange), Tangor (tangerine X orange), tangerona and orangelo. Banana, Musa paradisiaca subsp. sapientum,
is one of the most important of all tropical fruits. It has spread all over the tropical world from
its original home in the humid tropics of Malaya or India. It is one of the world’s oldest cultivated
crops. It was important in Assyria in
1,100 B.C., and it was well known to all the other early civilizations. It reached Polynesia at a very early date
and was brought to the West Indies in 1,500. Banana is one of the tallest of the herbaceous
plants. Its robust treelike stem is
made up of the sheathing spiral leaf bases that contain fibers of sufficient
strength to make possible this erect growth.
At the top of the stem, which can vary in height from 10-30 ft., there
is produced a crown of large oval deep green leaves. These may be up to 12 ft. in length and 2
ft in width with a prominent midrib. A single inflorescence is produced that consists of
clustered flowers which are nearly surrounded by large, fleshy, reddish,
spathelike scales and which drop off as the fruits mature. The flower stalk develops from the
rootstalk and pushes its way up through the hollow stem, emerging in the
center of the crown. It soon curves
over owing to its great weight. These drooping inflorescences
develop into the “bunches” of bananas.
Marketable bunches may weight from 80-140 pounds and consist of from
6-15 clusters, known as “hands” or “combs.”
Usually each hand contains 10-20 individual bananas, or
“fingers.” Bunches with as many as 22
hands and 300 individual bananas have been produced, but these are not
common. The fruit of cultivated
varieties is a modified berry and lacks seeds. Wild species do occur that produce normal seeds. As soon as the tree bears it dies or is
cut down, and suckers develop from the rhizome that give rise to new plants. A single clump may be productive for
several years. Bananas grow rapidly
and have a very high yield. Of
course, this varies with the locality and may be as low as 125 or as high as
300 to 400 bunches to the acre. The
same area of land that can produce 4,400 lbs. of bananas only may produce 33
lbs. of wheat and 98 lbs. of potatoes.
Leading exporters are Jamaica, Mexico, Central America and Ecuador. Over 300 varieties of banana are known. Only a few of these reach markets of the
world, the principal type being the Gros Michel. Tropical American markets have about 15 kinds, but the majority
are grown in tropical Asia. There are
other species of banana, one of which, the dwarf banana, Musa nana, is
occasionally exported. This species
is especially important in Southern Asia, Africa and the Pacific
islands. Red bananas, Musa
velutina, are quite common. Musa
cavendishii is a dwarf that is especially suited to home gardens Bananas for export are picked and shipped green. When thoroughly ripe, as indicated by
brown blotches on the yellow skin, they constitute a very healthy and
nourishing food. They have a high
content of carbohydrates with some fats and proteins. Their food value is three times that of
wheat. Bananas are usually eaten raw,
but may be cooked, especially when still green. Banana flour is made from dried green fruits. Banana ‘figs” are dried slices of ripe
fruits. A wine is also made from the
ripe fruit Plantain Musa paradisiaca is a close relative of the
banana and one of the great food plants of the tropics. Indigenous to Southern Asia, it has
furnished food for the inhabitants since ancient times. There are over 80 varieties; many so old
that seed has never propagated them within recorded time. Plantains are allowed to ripen and then
are always consumed cooked, fried or made into flour and are very digestible. Several tropical American fruits in the genus Annona
have been called Custard Apples. In all
species the fruit is a fleshy syncarp that is formed by the fusion of
numerous ripened ovaries and the receptacle.
The family Annonaceae includes over 600 species most of which have
edible fruits. It affords promise for
future development. Annona
cherimolia is a favorite dessert fruit.
It was known from ancient times in the Andes of Ecuador and Peru. It is now grown in Central America,
Mexico, the West Indies, California, Florida, Africa and India. The tree is small and shrubby with very
fragrant flowers that have the odor of tropical fruit such as pineapple and
coconut. The light green fruits are
globular or conical and from 4-10 in. long.
The delicious white or yellowish flesh is very aromatic with a soft
and custard like consistency. Annona squamosa, also known as Sugar Apple, is indigenous in South America and the
West Indies. The yellowish-green
tuberculate fruit is 2-3 inches in diameter.
It has white custard like pulp and is the most highly prized of the
group. Annona muricata, also known as Guanabana, is a small slender tree of the West
Indies. It bears large ovoid spiny
fruit that are deep green in color.
Some fruits may weight as much as 8-10 pounds and be a foot in length. The white juicy flesh is very aromatic and
is unrivaled for sherbets and drinks. Annona reticulata, also known as Bullock’s Heart, is very common in the
tropics. The fruit is heart shaped, 4-6
in. long and brownish or reddish in color.
The soft white or cream-colored sweetly aromatic pulp is somewhat
glandular toward the rind and rather insipid and cloying. It is indigenous in the West Indies. Phoenix dactylifera is an ancient crop that was
known before 3,000 B.C. Its origin
has been thought to be either in Arabia or India, but it has been
domesticated throughout Southwestern Asia and Northern Africa. It was of great importance in Babylonia
and had reached Egypt long before the Christian era. The date is a palm tree with slender trunk that can
reach 70-100 ft in height. It
produces offshoots from its base and is therefore often found growing in clumps. It has a crown of stiff, pinnate,
ascending and descending leaves of 20-20 ft in length. The numerous flowers, sometimes 10,000 to
an inflorescence, are surrounded by a spathe. Male and female flowers are produced on different trees, and in
cultivation 90 percent of the male trees are removed. The fruit is a nearly round drupe or
one-seeded berry. It is hard and
green at first but later turns yellow or red. The flesh is thick and very sweet, soft or dry and hard,
according to the variety. The date
palm is very drought resistant, but in arid regions grows best in areas where
there are springs or subterranean water sources (oases). It often serves as a staple food as well
as the main source of fruits and sugar in dry regions of the world. Typically it is a plant of hot sunny
climates with low humidity. Seeds or
cuttings propagate dates. They are
very long-lived, often reaching an age of over 200 years. There are over 1,000 varieties grown. Unripe fruits are consumed a month or more
before harvest as a crunchy, sweet delicacy.
Fruits that are ripened on the tree command a higher price than those
that are picked unripe and subjected to a steam ripening process. Unlike most fruits they have a high food
value, with 54 percent sugar and 7 percent protein as well as pectin and
gums. Dates are consumed as a table fruit and in jams,
pastes, cooking and alcoholic beverages.
In some desert regions there ore more than 800 uses made of this
plant. Every part of the plant is
utilized and the fruits have even served as currency. Iraq has produced over 80 percent of the
commercial crop. Arabia and Northern
Africa are also large producers.
Although date palms have been grown in California since the f18th
Century, they did not become commercially important until 1890. By the 21st Century commercial dates,
including over 20 varieties, were being grown in both California and
Arizona. There they are hand
pollinated and the ripening clusters are protected from birds and rain by
special paper sacs. Durian, Duria zibethinus, is indigenous to
Malaya and occurs locally in that area and west to Burma and south to the
East Indies. It is rarely
cultivated. It is a tall handsome
tree that reaches 80 ft in height with large conical spiny fruits, 6-8 in. in
diameter. The leaves are densely
covered with golden hairs on their undersides. The flowers are yellow or creamy white. The custard like flesh has an exquisite
flavor and is at the same time aromatic and sweet with a unique balsamic
taste. However, the odor can be
extremely offensive to persons with a particular gene so that the fruit has
been banned in certain hotels and public places. Durians are nevertheless highly prized by people and
animals. It has been associated with
rejuvenating powers. The edible fig, Ficus carica, has been under
cultivation since ancient times. It
is indigenous to Southern Arabia and had spread to the Mediterranean region
in prehistoric times. It is often
mentioned in the Bible. Theophrastus
was familiar with many varieties and his “Enquiry into Plants” gives a
detailed account of fig cultivation (Hill 1952). Today figs are grown worldwide where the climate is suitable. The fig is a shrub or small tree with typically lobed
leaves. The fruit is a synconium, a
fleshy hollow receptacle with a narrow aperture at the tip. The true fruits, which are small achenes,
are borne on short stalks on the inside of the synconium. There are several different kinds of
edible figs: Smyrna, Caprifigs,
Common Figs and San Pedro Figs. Gigs are used fresh, dried, canned or preserved. A large amount is used in baking and
ground up for fig coffee. Additional
to their food value they have definite laxative properties and are important
in medicine. In the United States
most of the fig crop comes from California and Texas.
These have no staminate flowers and thus the fruits develop without
pollination and have no seeds. Two
crops are produced annually. The
first crop (brebas) is larger and juicier and is usually consumed fresh. They are borne on the old wood. The second crop is produced in the axils
of the leaves. They are used fresh or
dried. There are over 800 varieties
of common figs. Propagation is by
cuttings. These are wild figs that grow naturally
in the Mediterranean region and in Western Asia and are thought to represent
the primitive type. There is no
commercial value for the fruit but cultivation is essential to the
development of the Smyrna fig. The
life history of the Capri Fig is closely related with that of a small wasp, Blastophaga psenes, which affects
pollination. Three crops of fruit are
produced yearly. The spring crop
(profichi) contains staminate flowers and the so-called gall-flowers. These are similar to pistillate flowers
but they have short styled ovaries.
The fig wasp enters the young figs and lays eggs in the gall
flowers. After about two months the
new generation of wasps hatches and emerges from the fig, becoming covered
with pollen in the process. By this
time the summer crop of figs (mammoni) has been produced that contain mainly
gall flowers. The wasps enter these
and deposit eggs in most of them.
Although the wasp pollinates these, the presence of the larvae
inhibits seed development. Flowers in
which eggs were not placed are able to develop fertile seed. There is usually a continual crop of these
summer figs until cold weather, and figs and wasps can be found in all stages
of development. Later in the season
the winter crop of figs (mamme) is developed and after being visited by the
wasps remains on the tree over winter.
The larvae mature in April when a new crop of profichi figs is ready
to receive the wasps and the annual cycle is resumed. There are no staminate flowers produced in Smyrna Figs,
and thus these figs are completely dependent on cross-pollination from Capri
Figs. The process is called Caprification and is carried out
artificially. Branches of Capri figs
of the profichi crop are suspended on the Smyrna tree. The wasps on emerging enter the partly
developed Smyrna figs and pollinate them.
Unlike the Capri figs, the ovaries have styles so long that the wasp
is unable to deposit eggs in the correct location. Therefore the ovules are able to develop normally after fertilization. The wasps then emerge from the fig or die
within the cavity. Smyrna figs have a
superior nutty flavor due to the presence of the fertile seeds. They are the most important commercial fig
and are extensively grown in Asia Minor, Algeria, Greece and some sections of
Portugal and California. These are grown in California with
two crops annually. The first
develops without pollination, while the second fails to mature and falls from
the tree, unless it is caprified. Granadillas are the edible fruits
of several species of passion flower.
These are woody tendril-bearing vines with solitary showl flowers and
a many-seeded berry. They are
indigenous to tropical America. The Purple Granadilla,
Passiflora edulis, is native to Brazil but has been cultivated
worldwide. In Australia it is of
considerable economic importance. it
is also grown in Sri Lanka, The Mediterranean area and the southern United
States. The flowers are white with a
white and purple crown. The
deep-purple fruit is about 3 in. long and is used as a table fruit and in
sherbets, candy and beverages. Other common species are the Giant
Granadilla, Passiflora quadrangularis, with greenish-yellow
flowers that reach 10 in. in length; and the Sweet
Granadilla, Passiflora ligularis. Guava, Psidium guajava, is native
to tropical America where it has been cultivated for centuries. It was known to the Incas and had spread
all over tropical America before the European colonization. It is now common in the tropics everywhere
and is of especial importance in Florida and California. The small tree or shrub has white
flowers. The yellow berrylike fruit
is about 4 in. long and has a variously colored flesh. The guava is very aromatic and is sweet
and juicy and highly flavored with a fine balance between the content of
acid, sugar and pectin. It is a rich
source of Vitamins A, B. and C and of ascorbic acid. It is usually used for preserves, pastes
and jellies and for beverages. The
powder from dehydrated fruits is used to fortify other jellies and jams. Strawberry Guava, Psidium
littorale, is native to Brazil and cultivated elsewhere. It has small red fruits with a very sweet
juicy pulp. They are used fresh or in
beverages. Other
Myrtaceae <Photos> The family
Myrtaceae, which includes guavas, probably has as many, if not more, species
with edible fruits than any other family.
Besides guavas of which there are at least 155 species, there are the
eugenias and syzgiums with almost 700 species. Some of these are of great importance. The Rose Apple, Syzygium jambos, is indigenous
to tropical Asia but has spread worldwide.
It is grown in Florida for its greenish-yellow fruits that are used in
preserves and candy. The Pitanga or Surinam Cherry,
Eugenia uniflora, is grown in Florida and California for use as a
fresh fruit and in jellies and sherbets. The Grumichama, Eugenia dombeyi, The Jambolan or Java Plum, Syzygium
cumini, and the Chia or Mountain
Apple, Syzygium malaccensis, are all native to South Eastern
Asia but may be found growing in other tropical countries. Other related species are the Feijoa, Feijoa sellowiana, and the Jaboticaba, Myrciaria cauliflora. The Jaboticaba is a very beautiful tree native
to Brazil. It is frequently planted
as an ornamental. The grapelike
fruits are borne on the branches and trunk and are used for fresh fruit,
jellies, wines and cordials.
Jujube, Zizyphus
jujuba, is indigenous to China and has been cultivated there since before
2,000 B.C. It is one of the principal
fruits consumed in China and is also grown elsewhere in the subtropics
worldwide. The plant is remarkably
free of pests. It is a large bush or
small spiny tree with small dark-brown fleshy drupes that have a white,
crisp, rich flesh. It is consumed
fresh, dried or preserved and is also used in cooking and making candy.
Lychee, Litchi chinensis, is indigenous to Cochin China and
Thailand. It has been an important
fruit in Southeastern Asia since before 100 B.C. The plant is now widely grown in the tropics and subtropics. The tree is also a valuable
ornamental. It reaches a height of
35-40 ft. and has a broad round-topped crown and leathery shiny leaves. The fruits are distinctively round, 1-2
in. in diameter and are borne in loose clusters. The pericarp is bright red and leathery, turning brown and
brittle on drying. The translucent
white flesh surrounds a single large seed.
In the dried fruit, the so-called “Litchi Nuts,” the flesh is very
aromatic and has a raisin like consistency.
Litchis produced in China and Taiwan are canned for the export market. Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, is one of the few
tropical fruits that belong to the Rosaceae, a family which has such a large
number of edible fruits in temperate regions. The tree is native to China but is now grown in most tropical
and subtropical areas. It has
flourished in California, The Gulf States and Florida. It is a small evergreen tree with broad
leaves and fragrant white flowers that appear in autumn. The small, round, downy, yellow-orange
fruits area produced in the spring.
The flesh is lightly acid and not as sweet and rich as most tropical fruits. It is highly valued in the Orient and has
been grown there since antiquity.
Japan and Australia produce the largest crop. The fruit is used fresh and is made into
jellies, sauces and pies. Chrysobalanus icaco L occurs on the sandy shores
of southern Florida to the West Indies and Brazil. it has plumlike fruits that make excellent conserves but which
are too acid for consuming fresh. Mango, Mangifera indica, is one of
the oldest and most important of tropical fruits. It was cultivated since before 4,000 B.C. It is a sacred tree in India. Indigenous to Southern Asia, it is now
widely grown in all tropical and some subtropical areas. Mango is one of the few tropical plants
that have been improved under cultivation and there are over 515
horticultural varieties grown. The
tree is a handsome evergreen, reaching 90 ft. in height with small pink
flowers in large panicles. The fruit
is a fleshy drupe with a thick yellowish-red skin and a large seed. The size, shape, and quality mangos vary
greatly. The lengths are 3-5 in. The pulp is orange, yellow or red and when
ripe has a rich, aromatic flavor with a perfect blending of sweetness and
acidity. Young and inferior fruits
are often fibrous and unpleasantly acid. Mangos are of much greater importance among tropical
fruits than apples are among temperate fruits, and they furnish food for at
least one-fifth of the world’s inhabitants.
Most of the harvest is consumed fresh. They are also used in preserves, sauces, and salads and as
chutney. They are also cooked, dried
and canned. The related genus Spondias includes three
species that furnish fruits often found in tropical markets. The Golden Apple,
Otaheite Apple or Ambarella,
Spondias cytherea, is native to the Society Islands and is cultivated
in both hemispheres. Although
inferior to the mango, it is consumed fresh, cooked and in sherbets and
beverages. The Yellow Mombin or Hog Plum, Spondias mombin, and the Red Mombin or
Spanish Plum, S. purpurea, are natives of tropical America where they are
widely distributed as both wild and cultivated trees. The fruits are consumed raw, cooked or in
jams and jellies. Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, has been called
The World’s Best Flavored Fruit. It
is highly valued in areas where it can be grown. Native to Malaya it is common in the East Indies, Cochin China
and Ceylon. It has also spread to
other tropical areas of the world.
The tree is small and rarely exceeds 30 ft. in height. It has deep-green foliage and the fruit is
a dark purple berry, 2-3 in. in length with adherent sepals at the base. The rind is one-half inch thick and the
flesh is so delicate that it melts almost like ice cream. The pulp is white or yellowish, with
crimson veins and exudes a yellow juice of exquisite flavor There are more than 200 species of Garcinia,
about two-third of which have edible fruits.
The Mamey or Mammee Apple, Mammea americana, is a
close Neotropical relative that is an important fruit in the West Indies and
tropical America. The aromatic flesh
is magenta colored with the consistency of an avocado. Olive, Olea europaea, is one of the oldest of
fruits and had been grown from prehistoric time. It is actually used more like a vegetable and an edible oil, however. It was known in Egypt in the 17th Century
B.C. and is often mentioned in the Bible and in Roman and Greek
writings. It is now cultivated
everywhere throughout the tropics and subtropics. It has been grown in California since 1769. The tree is a small evergreen 25-40 ft in height with
leathery entire leaves. It bears
whitish flowers and a one-seeded drupe.
The fruit is shiny purplish black when ripe. Although they live to a great age under favorable conditions,
olive trees require careful cultivation.
A deep fertile soil and a temperature averaging 57 degrees Fahrenheit,
and no lower than 14 deg. Fahrenheit are preferred. Irrigation is often required for a good crop. Cuttings propagate the tree. The fruit contains a bitter glucoside and have to be
processed before they are palatable.
After a heavy frost some fruits may be eaten directly from the
tree. The processing is done by
pickling and heating with sodium hydroxide.
Ripe olives have high food content for they are one of the few fruits
rich in oil. They are cultivated for
eating, but more especially as a source of olive oil. Green olives are also a favorite
preparation. These are picked by hand
when fully grown but still unripe.
They are cleaned, heated with lye, which softens them and removes the
bitter contents that are present, and pickled in brine. Stuffed olives, with the pit removed and
replaced by a pimiento or nut, are a familiar product. The best quality olives are grown in the
Mediterranean area, especially Greece and southern Italy. The oil that is extracted from California
grown olives lacks the flavor of that from Mediterranean crops. Papaya, Carica papaya, is indigenous to the West
Indies and Mexico. It is now grown
worldwide in the tropics and subtropics.
The fruit is valuable for food and medicinal purposes. The tree is in reality a giant herb that
will grow to 25 ft. in height.
Varieties may be either dioecious or monocious. The straight stem is rather succulent,
with a crown of large deeply 7-lobed leaves and yellow flowers. The fruits are fleshy berries that
resemble melons. They are
yellow-orange in color and may weight up to 20 lbs. They are borne on long stalks just below the crown of leaves. The growth rate is very rapid and the
yield high. Papaya is an excellent
breakfast fruit especially when served with the juice of limes. It is also used for salads, pies, sherbets
and confections. Unripe fruits are
cooked like squash or preserved. The
fruit and other parts of the plant contain a latex that is used in
chewing-gum manufacture. One of the
constituents of the latex is a digestive ferment, Papain
that acts on proteins in a manner similar to pepsin. This ferment is important in medicine and
is also used for tenderizing meat. Papaw, Asimina
triloba, is native to temperate North America. The tree is deciduous with drooping leaves, axillary purple
flowers that show before the leaves, and edible fruits. It grows from New York to Florida and
Texas. American Persimmon,
Diospyros virginiana, is a hardy small tree of the Eastern United
States. The fruits ripen after a
frost and are of high quality and delicious flavor. The unripe fruits are very acid but the ripe fruits do not hold
up well in storage and have more pulp.
Japanese Persimmon,
Diospyros kaki, is indigenous to China but has spread from there
worldwide. There are over 810
varieties grown in Japan. The tree is
cultivated in France and other Mediterranean countries and is common in
California, Florida, Texas and the Gulf States. It is a large tree, 20 ft or more in height, with orange-red
fruits about 3 in. in diameter.
Persimmons are edible berries with an enlarged calyx at the base. They are consumed fresh or dried. Intestinal allergic reactions may occur in
some who eat this fruit. Pineapple, Ananas comosus, is one of the first tropical
fruits to be grown commercially. No
other tropical crop except rubber has had a more rapid rise in international
commerce. This is due in large part
to good luck and management as well as to its own high quality. Pineapples are indigenous to Northern South
America. It was widely grown in the
West Indies in Pre-Columbian times.
Wild varieties still exist in Brazil.
The ananas, as they were called, were carried by the Europeans
to the Old World and from there spread all over tropical Asia, Africa, the
East Indies and Polynesia. The plant is a biennial, with a short stem and rosette
of stiff leaves, 3 ft. in length, with spiny tips and prickly margins (Hill
1952). The flowers occur in dense beads
and are crowned by a tuft of leaves.
The large fruits, weighting from 1-20 lbs., are syncarps. These are multiple accessory fruits formed
from the whole inflorescence. The
individual ripened ovaries are embedded in a fleshy mass formed from the
bracts, sepals, petals and axis of the inflorescence. The cultivated varieties are mostly
seedless. Pineapple is a very
dependable crop. Propagation is by
suckers, slips or by planting the crown.
They can be grown in a poor dry sandy soil, but often require iron
supplements. There are many
varieties. Few fruits with better flavor or more wholesome
qualities are known. Besides the
content of sugar and fruit acids, a valuable digestive ferment, Bromelin, is present. Pineapples must ripen on the plant to develop the best flavor. However, most of the fruits that are
exported are picked before maturity and often tend to be too acid and are not
as full flavored. Pineapples have
been preserved in cans since 1900, either as juice or slices. A fiber called Piña is
obtained from the leaves. The principal commercial areas are Hawaii, Central
America, the West Indies and Southeast Asia.
Garden plantings are common in California, Florida and some Gulf States. Pomegranate, Punica granatum, is native to
Iran. It has been grown for centuries
and very early spread throughout the Mediterranean region and Southern
Asia. It grew in the Hanging Gardens
of Babylon. The plant is a bush or
low tree with orange-red flowers. The
round berry-like brownish-yellow or reddish fruits are 2-4 in. in diameter
and are crowned with a thick persistent calyx. A leathery rind encloses the pulp with amethyst colored juice
surrounding many seeds. The segments
enclosing the seeds are very bitter so that some experience is necessary in
eating this fruit. Pomegranates are
very refreshing and are used as a table or salad fruit and in beverages. The roots, rind and seeds are
medicinal. In the United States
California, Arizona and New Mexico lead the production. Sapodilla, Achras zapota, is a delicious dessert
fruit of tropical America. The tree
is a stately evergreen, 75 ft. in height, with a dense crown and horizontal
branches. The flowers are white and
the fruit is rough brown and 3-4 in. in diameter. The yellowish-brown flesh is translucent and very sweet. Young fruits contain tannin and are
unpalatable. The tree is grown in
Florida and in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. The principal commercial product from this
tree is not the fruit but the milky latex that is the chief source of chicle
for making chewing gum. There are over 400 species in the family Sapotaceae,
most of them being edible. Of these
the sapote, star apple and canistel are most important. Sapote, Calocarpum
sapota, and other species, are common in Central America and the West
Indies. The russet-brown fruit, 3-6
in. long, has a sweet spicy flesh and is important in the local diet. It is consumed fresh, in salads or as a
conserve. Canistel or Egg Fruit, Lucuma nervosa and other
species, is a beautiful tree with orange-yellow fruit and a sweet and
aromatic pulp. native to Northern
South America, it is cultivated in Brazil and has been naturalized in Florida
and the West Indies. The fruit is
consumed fresh, in salads, or for pies, puddings and jam. Tamarind, Tamarindus indica, is believed to have
originated in tropical Africa or Southern Asia. it is a large tree, 80 ft. in height, with a dense crown and is
often grown for shade and ornamental purposes in semiarid regions. The fruits are brown pods, 3-8 in.
long. The sour pulp contains 12
percent tartaric acid, 30 percent sugar.
Tamarinds are extensively used in India and the Orient as fresh fruit,
in beverages, for preserving and in medicine. The fruits were used in Europe during the Middle Ages. Tamarinds are common in Florida, the West
Indies and some Gulf States. Bilimbi and Carambola <Photos> Bilimbi, Averrhoa bilimbi, and Carambola,
Averrhoa carambola, are indigenous in Southeastern Asia but are grown
in the tropics worldwide. The small
fruits are acid so they are cooked with sugar before eating. Otaheite or Star Gooseberry
<Photos> Phyllanthus acidus, has yellow cherrylike fruits
that are excellent when eaten with sugar.
The small tree is ornamental but has developed wild in Florida and the
West Indies. Governor’s or Madagascar Plum
<Photos> Flacourtia indica is an Asiatic species with
excellent fruits. Carissa grandiflora and other species of
South Africa is a spiny ornamental that is often used as a hedge plant in
subtropical areas. The small scarlet
fruits are consumed raw or cooked or used for jellies and preserves. Malpighia glabra of the West Indies is commonly
grown from Texas to Northern South America.
It has juicy red cherrylike fruits that are usually cooked or used for
beverages. Ceriman or Pine Tree Fruit
<Photos> Monstera deliciosa is an ornamental aroid often
planted in greenhouses. It has long
conelike fruits with a pleasant pineapple-like flavor when ripe. Casimioa
edulis is indigenous to the highlands of Mexico and Central America. It was introduced into California, the
southern United States and the West Indies.
The apple like fruits have a soft, yellow, sweet, custard like pulp. Cyphomandra betacea, is
native to Peru but it is extensively cultivated throughout the Andean region. It was introduced into Puerto Rico and
Southeastern Asia. The oval,
reddish-orange fruits are consumed raw or cooked. Naranjilla or Lulu <Photos> Solanum quitoense is a
robust herb with very large leaves and orange fruits that are produced in
abundance throughout the year. It is
common in the high Andes from Peru to Colombia. The fruit has a very
delicious and refreshing juice that is rich in protein and minerals. |
=============================================================================