Pouteria is related to Manilkara, another genus that produces hard and heavy woods (e.g. balatá, M. bidentata) used commonly for tropical construction, as well as edible
fruit (such as
sapodilla, M. zapota).
Many species, such as Pouteria maclayana,[3] have edible fruits and are important foods, seasonally. Some are being commercially collected and sold on local markets or packed in
cans.
Pouteria species yield hard, heavy, resilient woods used as
firewood and
timber, but particularly in outdoor and naval construction, such as
dockpilings,
deckings, etc. Some species, such as abiu (P. caimito), are considered to be
shipworm resistant, but this depends on the
silica content, which may vary from 0.0-0.9%. The weight by volume (at 12% moisture content) of Pouteria wood can be in excess of 1140 kg/m3 (71 lb/ft3; thus, the wood sinks in water. The wood of Pouteria species is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out, but in its main use, naval construction, this is not a problem, since the wood never gets really dry.
The
vessel elements are relatively small and usually di- to quadriseriate; the
medullary rays are fine and close together. Pouteria woods are capable of attaining an excellent polish using fine-grained
sandpaper and possibly some wax. They can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background colour. However, the wood is hardly used for furniture because it is so dense that items made from it would be difficult to transport. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to work using hand tools. Even using
power tools, working these woods presents some problems, as well, but given some patience and practical knowledge, these can easily be solved.
For the silica to be effective against shipworms, it needs to dry to some degree to harden. When the wood is continually waterlogged, this process may take place very slowly or not at all, leaving the wood vulnerable.
Pouteria is a "
wastebasket taxon", and its size is continually being expanded or decreased. The
segregatedLabatia, described by
Olof Swartz in 1788 and named after the French botanist
Jean-Baptiste Labat, was maintained as a distinct entity until the 1930s, when it was finally synonymized with Pouteria for good. Most segregated genera that were merged with Pouteria again were established by
Henri Ernest Baillon and
Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre.[1]
Pouteria tenuisepalaPires & T.D.Penn. – French Guiana and northern Brazil (Amapá and Pará)
Pouteria torta (Mart.) Radlk. – Abiurana – southern Mexico to Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil
subsp. tuberculata(Sleumer) T.D.Penn. – Red Abiorana – southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, northern Brazil, and French Guiana
Pouteria trifidaAlves-Araújo & M.Alves – northeastern Brazil (southeastern Bahia)
Due to the uncertainty regarding its actual content, the number of
synonyms of Pouteria is massive. Plants of the World Online currently treats the following genera as synonyms.[2]
Barylucuma Ducke (1925)
Caleatia Mart. ex Steud. (1841), pro syn.
Caramuri Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1961)
Chaetocarpus Schreb. (1789), nom. rej.
Discoluma Baill. (1891)
Eglerodendron Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Englerella Pierre (1891)
Eremoluma Baill. (1891)
Franchetella Pierre (1890)
Gayella Pierre (1890)
Gomphiluma Baill. (1891)
Guapeba Gomes (1812)
Guapebeira Gomes (1803)
Ichthyophora Baehni (1964)
Krugella Pierre (1891)
Labatia Sw. (1788), nom. cons.
Leioluma Baill. (1891)
Lucuma Molina (1782)
Microluma Baill. (1891)
Myrtiluma Baill. (1891)
Nemaluma Baill. (1891)
Neolabatia Aubrév. (1972), nom. illeg.
Neoxythece Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1961)
Oxythece Miq. (1863), nom. illeg.
Paralabatia Pierre (1890)
Peteniodendron Lundell (1976)
Piresodendron Aubrév. ex Le Thomas (1983)
Podoluma Baill. (1891)
Prozetia Neck. (1790), opus utique oppr.
Pseudocladia Pierre (1891)
Pseudolabatia Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Pseudoxythece Aubrév. (1972)
Radlkoferella Pierre (1890)
Richardella Pierre (1890)
Sandwithiodoxa Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Syzygiopsis Ducke (1925)
Urbanella Pierre (1890)
The following genera are sometimes included in Pouteria.[1] Their current treatment by Plants of the World Online is included here.
Pouteria is related to Manilkara, another genus that produces hard and heavy woods (e.g. balatá, M. bidentata) used commonly for tropical construction, as well as edible
fruit (such as
sapodilla, M. zapota).
Many species, such as Pouteria maclayana,[3] have edible fruits and are important foods, seasonally. Some are being commercially collected and sold on local markets or packed in
cans.
Pouteria species yield hard, heavy, resilient woods used as
firewood and
timber, but particularly in outdoor and naval construction, such as
dockpilings,
deckings, etc. Some species, such as abiu (P. caimito), are considered to be
shipworm resistant, but this depends on the
silica content, which may vary from 0.0-0.9%. The weight by volume (at 12% moisture content) of Pouteria wood can be in excess of 1140 kg/m3 (71 lb/ft3; thus, the wood sinks in water. The wood of Pouteria species is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out, but in its main use, naval construction, this is not a problem, since the wood never gets really dry.
The
vessel elements are relatively small and usually di- to quadriseriate; the
medullary rays are fine and close together. Pouteria woods are capable of attaining an excellent polish using fine-grained
sandpaper and possibly some wax. They can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background colour. However, the wood is hardly used for furniture because it is so dense that items made from it would be difficult to transport. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to work using hand tools. Even using
power tools, working these woods presents some problems, as well, but given some patience and practical knowledge, these can easily be solved.
For the silica to be effective against shipworms, it needs to dry to some degree to harden. When the wood is continually waterlogged, this process may take place very slowly or not at all, leaving the wood vulnerable.
Pouteria is a "
wastebasket taxon", and its size is continually being expanded or decreased. The
segregatedLabatia, described by
Olof Swartz in 1788 and named after the French botanist
Jean-Baptiste Labat, was maintained as a distinct entity until the 1930s, when it was finally synonymized with Pouteria for good. Most segregated genera that were merged with Pouteria again were established by
Henri Ernest Baillon and
Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre.[1]
Pouteria tenuisepalaPires & T.D.Penn. – French Guiana and northern Brazil (Amapá and Pará)
Pouteria torta (Mart.) Radlk. – Abiurana – southern Mexico to Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil
subsp. tuberculata(Sleumer) T.D.Penn. – Red Abiorana – southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, northern Brazil, and French Guiana
Pouteria trifidaAlves-Araújo & M.Alves – northeastern Brazil (southeastern Bahia)
Due to the uncertainty regarding its actual content, the number of
synonyms of Pouteria is massive. Plants of the World Online currently treats the following genera as synonyms.[2]
Barylucuma Ducke (1925)
Caleatia Mart. ex Steud. (1841), pro syn.
Caramuri Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1961)
Chaetocarpus Schreb. (1789), nom. rej.
Discoluma Baill. (1891)
Eglerodendron Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Englerella Pierre (1891)
Eremoluma Baill. (1891)
Franchetella Pierre (1890)
Gayella Pierre (1890)
Gomphiluma Baill. (1891)
Guapeba Gomes (1812)
Guapebeira Gomes (1803)
Ichthyophora Baehni (1964)
Krugella Pierre (1891)
Labatia Sw. (1788), nom. cons.
Leioluma Baill. (1891)
Lucuma Molina (1782)
Microluma Baill. (1891)
Myrtiluma Baill. (1891)
Nemaluma Baill. (1891)
Neolabatia Aubrév. (1972), nom. illeg.
Neoxythece Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1961)
Oxythece Miq. (1863), nom. illeg.
Paralabatia Pierre (1890)
Peteniodendron Lundell (1976)
Piresodendron Aubrév. ex Le Thomas (1983)
Podoluma Baill. (1891)
Prozetia Neck. (1790), opus utique oppr.
Pseudocladia Pierre (1891)
Pseudolabatia Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Pseudoxythece Aubrév. (1972)
Radlkoferella Pierre (1890)
Richardella Pierre (1890)
Sandwithiodoxa Aubrév. & Pellegr. (1962)
Syzygiopsis Ducke (1925)
Urbanella Pierre (1890)
The following genera are sometimes included in Pouteria.[1] Their current treatment by Plants of the World Online is included here.