Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus)
Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a fruit-bearing tree in family Sapindaceae, native to Venezuela, Columbia, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, and the island of Margarita. It is also known as genip, genipe, knepa, maco, Spanish lime or honeyberry. The epithet bijugatus is referring to the bijugate leaves, which consist of 2 pairs of leaflets. Mamoncillo tree is a slow-growing, erect tree growing up to 25 m tall, with 1.7 m trunk diameter. It has smooth, gray bark and spreading branches. The leaves are alternate, with four opposite, elliptic, and sharp pointed leaflets 5-12.5 cm long and 3.5-6 cm wide. There is no terminal leaflet. The flowers are small, fragrant, white, 5-8 mm wide with 4 petals and 8 stamens, borne in slender racemes 6-10 cm long, and clustered in terminal panicles. The almost round or ovoid fruits are in branched clusters, green and tipped with a small protrusion. The fruit is green at maturity, and is quite similar to a small lime. The skin of the fruit is thin, smooth but leathery and brittle. The thin pulp or aril is yellowish or salmon-colored, translucent, juicy and gelatinous, and clinging to the seed. The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet, tart and tangy, but if unripe, the acidity predominates. The single seed is large, yellowish-white, and enclosed in a hard shell. Some fruits have 2 hemispherical seeds. The kernel is white, starchy, crisp, and astringent. In southern Mexico, mamoncillo is often eaten with chili powder, salt and lime.  Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus) Author: Anthony Atencio Moscote (public domain) | ||
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