Spondias purpurea
Anacardiaceae FAMILY

Spondias purpurea

Spondias purpurea

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The seed is toxic[ 348 Title Medicinal Plants of the Guianas Publication Author DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. Website http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html Publisher Smithsonian Museum Year 0 ISBN Description A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region ].

Botanical Description

Purple mombin is a deciduous tree with a spreading crown; it can reach a height of 25 metres, but is more likely to be in the range of 7 - 10 metres tall[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. The thick, gnarled bole can be 30 - 80cm in diameter[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The tree is especially valued for its edible fruit, though it also provides many other commodities including medicines, a gum, edible shoots etc. It is widely cultivated in tropical areas, especially the Americas, for its edible fruit, and is also used as a living hedge[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeWestern S. America north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.
HabitatAbundant in thickets or open forest, often in second growth, common in fencerows, pastures, and many other situations, ascending from sea level to elevations of about 1,700 metres[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].