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Tropical Plant "Sapodilla"
Manilkara Zapota van Royen.
Among
numerous vernacular names, some of the most common are: baramasi
(Bengal and Bihar, India); buah chiku (Malaya); chicle
(Mexico); chico (Philippines, Guatemala, Mexico); chicozapote
(Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela); chikoo (India); chiku
(Malaya, India); dilly (Bahamas; British West Indies); korob
(Costa Rica); mespil (Virgin Islands); mispel, mispu
(Netherlands Antilles, Surinam); muy (Guatemala); muyozapot
(El Salvador); naseberry (Jamaica; British West Indies); neeseberry
(British West Indies; nispero (Puerto Rico, Central
America, Venezuela); nispero quitense (Ecuador); sapodilla
plum (India); sapota (India); sapotí (Brazil); sapotille
(French West Indies); tree potato (India); Ya (Guatemala;
Yucatan); zapota (Venezuela); zapote (Cuba);
zapote chico (Mexico; Guatemala); zapote morado
(Belize); zapotillo (Mexico).
Sapodilla Description
The
sapodilla is a fairly slow-growing, long-lived tree, upright
and elegant, distinctly pyramidal when young; to 60 ft (18
m) high in the open but reaching 100 ft (30 m) when crowded
in a forest. It is strong and wind-resistant, rich in white,
gummy latex. Its leaves are highly ornamental, evergreen,
glossy, alternate, spirally clustered at the tips of the forked
twigs; elliptic, pointed at both ends, firm, 3 to 4 1/2 in
(7.5-11.25 cm) long and 1 to 1 1/2 in (2.5-4 cm) wide.
Flowers are small and bell-like, with 3 brown-hairy outer
sepals and 3 inner sepals enclosing the pale-green corolla
and 6 stamens. They are borne on slender stalks at the leaf
bases. The fruit may be nearly round, oblate, oval, ellipsoidal,
or conical; varies from 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) in width. When
immature it is hard, gummy and very astringent.
Though
smooth-skinned it is coated with a sandy brown scurf until
fully ripe. The flesh ranges in color from yellowish to light-
or dark-brown or sometimes reddish-brown; may be coarse and
somewhat grainy or smooth; becomes soft and very juicy, with
a sweet flavor resembling that of a pear. Some fruits are
seedless, but normally there may be from 3 to 12 seeds which
are easily removed as they are loosely held in a whorl of
slots in the center of the fruit. They are brown or black,
with one white margin; hard, glossy; long-oval, flat, with
usually a distinct curved hook on one margin; and about 1/4
in (2 cm) long.
Sapodilla Origin
and Distribution
The
sapodilla is believed native to Yucatan and possibly other
nearby parts of southern Mexico, as well as northern Belize
and Northeastern Guatemala. In this region there were once
100,000,000 trees. The species is found in forests throughout
Central America where it has apparently been cultivated since
ancient times. It was introduced long ago throughout tropical
America and the West Indies, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Florida
Keys and the southern part of the Florida mainland. Early
in colonial times, it was carried to the Philippines and later
was adopted everywhere in the Old World tropics. It reached
Ceylon in 1802.
Cultivation
is most extensive in coastal India (Maharastra, Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Madras and Bengal States), where plantations are
estimated to cover 4,942 acres (2,000 ha), while Mexico has
3,733.5 acres (1,511 ha) devoted to the production of fruit
(mainly in the states of Campeche and Veracruz) and 8,192
acres (4,000 ha) primarily for extraction of chicle (see under
"Other Uses") as well as many dooryard and wild trees. Commercial
plantings prosper in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the interior
valleys of Palestine, as well as in various countries of South
and Central America, including Venezuela and Guatemala.
Sapodilla Cultivars
In
most areas, types are distinguished merely by shape, as 'Round'
and 'Oval' in Saharanpur, India. Several named cultivars are
grown for commercial or home use in western and southern India:
'Kalipatti', small, early, high quality; 'Calcutta
Special', large, late; 'Pilipatti', small, midseason
to late; 'Bhuripatti', small, midseason; Jumakhia',
small, in clusters, late; 'Mohan Gooti', small,
midseason, not very sweet; 'Kittubarti', very small,
ridged, very sweet; 'Kittubarti Big', large, but of
inferior quality; 'Cricket Ball', very large, with
crisp, granular, very sweet flesh but not distinctive in flavor;
'Dwarapudi', similar, but not quite as big, sweet and
very popular; 'Bangalore', large, ridged, and 'Vavivalasa'
are oval and popular in the Circars but are only medium-sweet
and bear poorly.
Other
prominent cultivars in India are 'Jonnavalosa-I', of
medium size, pale-fleshed, sweet; 'Jonnavalosa-Il', of
medium size, ridged, with yellowish-pink flesh, sweet but
not agreeable in flavor; 'Jonnavalosa Round', large,
ridged, with cream-colored flesh, very sweet; 'Gauranga',
small, lop-sided, ridged, very sweet, bears heavily; 'Ayyangar',
large, very thick-skinned, sweet, rose-scented; 'Thagarampudi',
of medium size, thin-skinned, very sweet; 'Oaka', small,
rounded to oval, of good flavor and popular. Among the lesser-known
are 'Badam', 'Bhuri', 'Calcutta Round', 'CO. 1' ('Cricket
Ball' X 'Long Oval'), 'Dhola diwani', 'Fingar', 'Gavarayya',
'Guthi', 'Kali', and
'Vanjet'.
A
dwarf type called 'Pot' bears early and can be maintained
as a pot specimen for 10 years.
Henry
Pittier, in 1914, described what he deemed a "remarkable variety"
called nispero de monte at Patiño, Panama. The trees
do not exceed 26 ft (8 m) in height and bear small, oblate
fruits in dense clusters.
In
Indonesia, sapodillas are classed in two main groups: 1) Sawo
maneela, normal-size trees having narrow, pointed leaves;
and 2) Sawo apel, low, shrublike trees, with oblong leaves
broadest above the middle. Belonging to group #1 are the common
cultivars 'Sawo betawi' (fruit large, in clusters of
2-4, popular, perishable, ripening in 3 days from picking);
'Sawo koolon' (fruit large, solitary, thick skinned,
with firm flesh, shipping well); 'Sawo madja' (large,
with persistent scurf, pulp of fine texture, sweet with an
acid tang). Belonging to group #2 are 'Sawo apel bener'
(fruits small in clusters of 3-6, thick-skinned); 'Sawo
apel klapa' (fruits medium-size, with persistent scurf).
Some others are little grown because the fruits are either
very small, too sandy, too gummy, or too dry.
In
Mexico, some superior selections are known merely as 'SCH-02','SCH-03','SCH-07',
'SCH-08', and
'SCH-28'.
In
Florida, seedling selections of high quality have been named
and vegetatively reproduced. The first of these was 'Russell'
from Islamorada in the Florida Keys, named and propagated
by R.H. Fitzpatrick. It is nearly round, up to 4 in (10 cm)
in diameter and length, brown-scurfy with gray patches, and
luscious, reddish flesh. It is not a dependable bearer. The
second, 'Prolific', a seedling grown at the Agricultural
Research and Education Center, Homestead, and released in
1941, is round-conical, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 in (6.25-9 cm) long
and broad, with smooth, pinkish-tan flesh.
The
skin is lighter than that of the 'Russell' and tends to lose
much of the scurf as it ripens. The tree bears early, consistently
and heavily. Of later selection, 'Modello' is a good
quality fruit but not a heavy producer; 'Seedless'
yields poorly; 'Brown Sugar' is a good, regular, high
yielder; handles and keeps well.
Some
introduced cultivars being tested in Florida include: 'Boetzberg',
'Larsen', 'Morning Star', 'Jamaica 8', and 'Jamaica
10'. 'Tikal', a recent seedling selection, seems very
promising. It is light-brown, elliptic to conical, much smaller
than 'Prolific', but of excellent flavor and comes into season
very early. Several cultivars not recommended because of low
yield in southern Florida are 'Addley', 'Adelaide', 'Big
Pine Key', 'Black', 'Jamaica No. 4', 'Jamaica No. 5', 'Martin'
and
'Saunders'.
In
1951, in Jamaica, I visited an English gentleman who had a
very special sapodilla tree which bore great quantities of
tiny sapodillas, no more than 1 1/2 in (4 cm) in diameter.
They were all seedless and he served them chilled, whole.
In
the Philippines, selected cultivars, 'Ponderosa', 'Java',
'Sao Manila', 'Native', 'Formosa', 'Rangel', and the 'Prolific'
from Florida are maintained by the Bureau of Plant Industry
for propagation and distribution to farmers. 'Sao Manila'
fruits mature in 190 days and ripen 3 to 5 days after picking.
Hybridization
studies have been conducted in India.
Sapodilla Climate
The
sapodilla grows from sea level to 1,500 ft (457 m) in the
Philippines, up to 4,000 ft (1,220 m) in India, to 3,937 ft
(1,200 in) in Venezuela, and is common around Quito, Ecuador,
at 9,186 ft (2,800 m). It is not strictly tropical, for mature
trees can withstand temperatures of 26º to 28º F (-3.33º to
-2.2º C) for several hours. Young trees are tenderer and apt
to be killed by 30º F (-1.11º C) unless the stem is banked
with sand or wrapped with straw and burlap during the cold
spell.
A
number of sapodilia trees have lived for a few years in California
without fruiting and then have succumbed to cold. Cool nights
are considered a constant limiting factor. However, I have
learned of one tree in a protected location in the Sacramento
Valley that has survived for many years, reaching a large
size and fruiting regularly. The sapodilla seems equally at
home in humid and relatively dry atmospheres.
Sapodilla Soil
The
sapodilla grows naturally in the calcareous marl and disintegrated
limestone of its homeland, therefore it should not be surprising
that it is so well adapted to southern Florida and the Florida
Keys. Nevertheless, it flourishes also in deep, loose, organic
soil, or on light clay, diabase, sand or lateritic gravel.
Good drainage is essential, the tree bearing poorly in low,
wet locations. It is highly drought-resistant, can stand salt
spray, and approaches the date palm in its tolerance of soil
salinity, rated as ECe 14.20.
Sapodilla Propagation
Seeds
remain viable for several years if kept dry. The best seeds
are large ones from large fruits. They germinate readily but
growth is slow and the trees take 5 to 8 years to bear. Since
there is great variation in the form, quality and yield of
fruits from seedling trees, vegetative propagation has long
been considered desirable but has been hampered by the gummy
latex. In India, several methods are practiced: grafting,
inarching, ground-layering and air-layering. Grafts have been
successful on several rootstocks: sapodilla, Bassia latifolia,
B. longifolia, Sideroxylon dulcificum and Mimusops
hexandra. The last has been particularly successful,
the grafts growing vigorously and fruiting heavily.
In
Florida, shield-budding, cleft-grafting and side-grafting
were moderately successful but too slow for large-scale production.
An improved method of side-grafting was developed using year-old
seedlings with stems 1/4 in (6 mm) thick. The scion (young
terminal shoot) was prepared 6 weeks to several months in
advance by girdling and defoliating. Just before grafting
the rootstock was scored just above the grafting site and
the latex "bled" for several minutes. After the stock was
notched and the scion set in, it was bound with rubber and
given a protective coating of wax or asphalt.
The
scion started growing in 30 days and the rootstock was then
beheaded. Some years later, further experiments showed that
better results were obtained by omitting the pre-conditioning
of the scion and the bleeding of the latex. The operator must
work fast and clean his knife frequently. The scions are veneer-grafted
and then completely covered with plastic, allowing free gas
exchange while preventing dehydration. Success is deemed most
dependent on season: the 2 or 3 months of late summer and
early fall.
In
the Philippines, terminal shoots are completely defoliated
2 to 3 weeks before grafting onto rootstock which has been
kept in partial shade for 2 months. However, inarching is
there considered superior to grafting, giving a greater percentage
of success. Homeowners often find air-layering easier and
more successful than grafting, and air-layered trees often
begin bearing within 2 years after planting.
In
India, 50% success has been realized in top-working 20-year-old
trees--cutting back to 3 1/2 ft (1 m) from the ground and
inserting scions of superior cultivars.
Sapodilla Culture
Seedlings
for grafting are best grown in full sun, kept moist and fertilized
with 8-4-8 N P K every 45 days.
Trees
set out in commercial groves should be spaced 30 to 45 ft
(9-13.5 m) apart each way.
In
India, the plants are placed in deep, pre-fertilized pits
and manured twice a year, sometimes with the addition of castor
bean meal or residue of neem seed (Azadirachta indica A.
Juss.), wood ash and/or ammonium sulfate. In an experiment
at Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani, India, with
8-year-old trees planted at 12 m, application of 28 oz (800
g) N/tree increased trunk size and number and weight of fruits.
Combined application of this amount of N plus 6 1/4 oz (176
g) P and 5 3/4 oz (166 g) K/tree gave the highest fruit yield.
Fertilizer experiments over a period of 25 years at Gujarat
Agricultural University revealed that N alone increases yield
by 70%, a combination of N and P elevates yield by 90%, and
combined N and K, 128%, over that of control (unfertilized)
trees. Of course, optimum nutrient formulas depend on the
character of the soil. In South Florida's limestone a mixed
fertilizer of N, P, K, Mg in a 4-7-5-3 ratio is recommended
in spring, summer and fall.
Most
mature sapodilla trees receive no watering, but irrigation
in dry seasons will increase productivity. In some parts of
India, brackish or saline water is sometimes used to reduce
vegetative growth and promote fruiting.
Sapodilla Season
The
fruits mature 4 to 6 months after flowering. In the tropics,
some cultivars bear almost continuously. In India, the main
season is from December to March. The trees bear from May
to September in Florida, with the peak of the crop in June
and July. In Mexico, there are two peak seasons: February-April
and October-December.
Sapodilla Harvesting
Most
people find it difficult to tell when a sapodilla is ready
to pick. With types that shed much of the "sand" on maturity,
it is relatively easy to observe the slight yellow or peach
color of the ripe skin, but with other types it is necessary
to rub the scurf to see if it loosens readily and then scratch
the fruit to make sure the skin is not green beneath the scurf.
If the skin is brown and the fruit separates from the stem
easily without leaking of the latex, it is fully mature though
still hard and must be kept at room temperature for a few
days to soften. It is best to wash off the sandy scurf before
putting the fruit aside to ripen. It should be eaten when
firm-soft, not mushy.
In
the Bahamas, children bury their "dillies" in potholes in
the limestone to ripen, or the fruits may be wrapped in sweaters
or other thick material and put in drawers to hasten softening.
Fruits picked immature will shrivel as they soften and will
be of inferior quality, sometimes with small pockets of gummy
latex.
In
commercial groves, it is judged that when a few fruits have
softened and fallen from the tree, all the full-grown fruits
may be harvested for marketing. If in any doubt, the grower
should cut open a few fruits to make sure the seeds are black
(or very dark-brown). Pickers should use clippers or picking
poles with bag and sharp notch at the peak of the metal frame
to cut the fruit stem.
In
India, the fruits are spread out in the shade to allow any
latex at the stem end to dry before packing. The fruits ship
well with minimal packing.
Sapodilla Yield
The
'Prolific' sapodilla yields 6 to 9 bushels per tree annually;
or, 200 to 450 lbs (90 to 180 kg). 'Brown Sugar' yields 5
to 8 bushels. In India, it is said that a productive tree
will bear 1,000 fruits in its 10th year and the yield increases
steadily. At 30-35 years of age, the tree should produce 2,500
to 3,000 fruits annually. A great deal depends on the cultivar.
A 10-year-old 'Oval' tree gave 1,158 fruits weighing 184 lbs
(128.8 kg), while a 10-year-old 'Cricket Ball' bore 353 fruits
weighing 112 lbs (50 kg). Hand-pollination has been found
to increase fruit set.
Sapodilla Keeping
Quality and Storage
Mature,
hard sapodillas will ripen in 9 to 10 days and rot in 2 weeks
at normal summer temperature and relative humidity. More than
50 years ago, sapodillas were shipped from Java to Holland,
held at 40º-50º F (4.44-10º C) for 3 days, and they ripened
satisfactorily after arrival. They were smoked over burning
straw for a few hours before packing. Storage trials in Malaya
demonstrated that mature, hard sapodillas stored at 68º F
(20º C) win ripen in 10 days and remain in good condition
for another 5 days.
In
Venezuela, mature fruits held at 68º F (20º C) and 90% relative
humidity were in excellent condition at the end of 23 days.
Lower temperatures, in efforts to prolong storage life, seriously
retard ripening and lower fruit quality. Low relative humidity
causes shriveling and wrinkling. Humid conditions promote
sogginess. If long storage is necessary, the fruits may be
kept at 59º-68º F (15º-20º C) in a controlled atmosphere of
85-90% relative humidity, 5-10% (v/v) CO2,with
total removal Of C2H4 to
delay ripening.
Firm-ripe
sapodillas may be kept for several days in good condition
in the home refrigerator. At 35º F (1.67º C), they can be
kept for 6 weeks. Fully ripe fruits frozen at 32º F (0º C)
keep perfectly for 33 days.
Sapodilla Pests
and Diseases
In
general, the sapodilla tree remains supremely healthy with
little or no care. In India, it is sometimes attacked by a
bark-borer, Indarbela (Arbela) tetraonis. Mealybugs
may infest tender shoots and deface the fruits. A galechid
caterpillar (Anarsia) has caused flower buds and flowers
to dry up and fall. In Indonesia, caterpillars of Tarsolepis
remicauda may completely defoliate the tree.
A
caterpillar, Nephopteryx engraphella, feeds on the
leaves, flower buds and young fruits in parts of India. The
ripening and overripe fruits are favorite hosts of the Mediterranean,
Caribbean, Mexican and other fruit flies.
Various
scales, including Howardia biclavis, Pulvinaria (or
Chloropulvinaria) psidii, Rastrococcus iceryoides, and
pustule scale, Asterolecanium pustulans Ckll., may
lead to black sooty mold caused by the fungus Capnodium
sp. on stems, foliage and fruits. In some years, during
winter and spring in Florida, a rust (possibly Uredo sapotae)
may affect the foliage of some cultivars. A leaf spot
(Septoria sp.) has caused defoliation in a few locations.
The moth of a leaf miner (Acrocercops gemoniella) is
active on young leaves. Other minor enemies have been occasionally
observed.
In
India, it may be necessary to spread nets over the tree to
protect the fruits from fruit bats.
Sapodilla Food
Uses
Generally,
the ripe sapodilla, unchilled or preferably chilled, is merely
cut in half and the flesh is eaten with a spoon. It is an
ideal dessert fruit as the skin, which is not eaten, remains
firm enough to serve as a "shell". Care must be taken not
to swallow a seed, as the protruding hook might cause lodging
in the throat. The flesh, of course, may be scooped out and
added to fruit cups or salads. A dessert sauce is made by
peeling and seeding ripe sapodillas, pressing the flesh through
a colander, adding orange juice, and topping with whipped
cream. Sapodilla flesh may also be blended into an egg custard
mix before baking.
It
was long proclaimed that the fruit could not be cooked or
preserved in any way, but it is sometimes fried in Indonesia
and, in Malaya, is stewed with lime juice or ginger. I found
that Bahamians often crush the ripe fruits, strain, boil and
preserve the juice as a sirup.
They also add mashed sapodilla pulp to pancake batter and
to ordinary bread mix before baking. My own experiments showed
that a fine jam could be made by peeling and stewing cut-up
ripe fruits in water and skimming off a green scum that rises
to the surface and appears to be dissolved latex, then adding
sugar to improve texture and sour orange juice and a strip
of peel to offset the increased sweetness. Skimming until
all latex scum is gone is the only way to avoid gumminess.
Cooking with sugar changes the brown color of the flesh to
a pleasing red.
One lady in Florida developed
a recipe for sapodilla pie. She peeled the ripe fruits, cut
them into pieces as apples are cut, and filled the raw lower
crust, sprinkled 1/2 cup of raisins over the fruit, poured
over evenly 1/2 cup of 50-50 lime and lemon juice to prevent
the sapodilla pieces from becoming rubbery, and then sprinkled
evenly 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. After covering with the
top crust and making a center hole to release steam, she baked
for 40 minutes at 350º F (176.67º C). In India, it has been
shown that ripe fruits can be peeled and sliced, packed in
metal cans, heated for 10 minutes at 158º F (70º C), then
treated for 6 minutes at a vacuum of 28 in Hg, vacuum double-seamed,
and irradiated with a total dose of 4 x 105
rads at room temperature. This process provides an acceptable
canned product.
Ripe
sapodillas have been successfully dried by pretreatment with
a 60% sugar solution and osmotic dehydration for 5 hours,
and the product has retained acceptable quality for 2 months.
Mr.
Edward Smith of Crescent Place, Trinidad, made sapodilla wine
and told me that it was very good. Young leafy shoots are
eaten raw or steamed with rice in Indonesia, after washing
to eliminate the sticky sap.
Sapodilla Food
Value
Immature
sapodillas are rich in tannin (proanthocyanadins) and very
astringent. Ripening eliminates the tannin except for a low
level remaining in the skin.
Analyses
of 9 selections of sapodillas from southern Mexico showed
great variation in total soluble solids, sugars and ascorbic
acid content. Unfortunately, the fruits were not peeled and
therefore the results show abnormal amounts of tannin contributed
by the skin:
Moisture
ranged from 69.0 to 75.7%; ascorbic acid from 8.9 to 41.4
mg/100 g; total acid, 0.09 to 0.15%; pH, 5.0 to 5.3; total
soluble solids, 17.4º to 23.7º Brix; as for carbohydrates,
glucose ranged from 5.84 to 9.23%, fructose, 4.47 to 7.13%,
sucrose, 1.48 to 8.75%, total sugars, 11.14 to 20.43%, starch,
2.98 to 6.40%. Tannin content, because of the skins, varied
from 3.16 to 6.45%.
Sapodilla Toxicity
The
seed kernel (50% of the whole seed) contains 1% saponin and
0.08% of a bitter principle, sapotinin. Ingestion of more
than 6 seeds causes abdominal pain and vomiting.
Sapodilla Other
Uses
Chicle:
A major by-product of the sapodilla tree is the gummy
latex called "chicle", containing 15% rubber and 38% resin.
For many years it has been employed as the chief ingredient
in chewing gum but it is now in some degree diluted or replaced
by latex from other species and by synthetic gums.
Chicle
is tasteless and harmless and is obtained by repeated tapping
of wild and cultivated trees in Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala.
It is coagulated by stirring over low fires, then poured into
molds to form blocks for export. Processing consists of drying,
melting, elimination of foreign matter, combining with other
gums and resins, sweeteners and flavoring, then rolling into
sheets and cutting into desired units.
The
dried latex was chewed by the Mayas and was introduced into
the United States by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana about
1866 while he was on Staten Island awaiting clearance to enter
this country. He had a supply in his pocket for chewing and
gave a piece to the son of Thomas Adams. The latter at first
considered the possibility of using it to make dentures, then
decided it was useful only as a masticatory. He found he could
easily incorporate flavoring and thus soon launched the chicle-based
chewing-gum industry. In 1930, at the peak of production,
nearly 14,000,000 lbs (6,363,636 kg) of chicle were imported.
Efforts
have been made to extract chicle from the leaves and unripe
fruit but the yield is insufficient. It has been estimated
that 3,200 leaves would be needed to produce one pound (0.4535
kg) of gum.
Among
miscellaneous uses: the latex is employed as birdlime, as
an adhesive in mending small articles in India; it has been
utilized in dental surgery, and as a substitute for gutta
percha. The Aztecs used it for modeling figurines.
Timber:
Sapodilla wood is strong and durable and timbers which
formed lintels and supporting beams in Mayan temples have
been found intact in the ruins. It has also been used for
railway crossties, flooring, native carts, tool handles, shuttles
and rulers. The red heartwood is valued for archer's bows,
furniture, bannisters, and cabinetwork but the sawdust irritates
the nostrils. Felling of the tree is prohibited in Yucatan
because of its value as a source of chicle.
Bark:
The tannin-rich bark is used by Philippine fishermen to
tint their sails and fishing lines.
Medicinal
Uses: Because of the tannin content, young fruits are
boiled and the decoction taken to stop diarrhea. An infusion
of the young fruits and the flowers is drunk to relieve pulmonary
complaints. A decoction of old, yellowed leaves is drunk as
a remedy for coughs, colds and diarrhea. A "tea" of the bark
is regarded as a febrifuge and is said to halt diarrhea and
dysentery. The crushed seeds have a diuretic action and are
claimed to expel bladder and kidney stones. A fluid extract
of the crushed seeds is employed in Yucatan as a sedative
and soporific. A combined decoction of sapodilla and chayote
leaves is sweetened and taken daily to lower blood pressure.
A paste of the seeds is applied on stings and bites from venomous
animals. The latex is used in the tropics as a crude filling
for tooth cavities.
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