Manilkara sp.

I am interested in obtaining 3000 seeds of M. Zapota Do u 
know of a source? What will be the price for airmailing it to
Singapore.When will it be available. Is it highly perishable.

Thanks 

        
=================================================================
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 1996 22:41:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: cathy 
>>>        You asked for information about Sapodillas and asked if Anachras was
>>>the same thing; it took me a few days to get the time to look for the
>>>information and find it.  Knew it was here somewhere in one of my books on
>>>tropical fruit growing and native trees.  As it turns out, it was in a
>>>couple of them.
>>>        The Biology of Trees Native to Florida by P.B.Tomlinson, printed and
>>>bound by the Harvard University Printing Office in 1980, has a very detailed
>>>account on Sapodilla on page 391- 395 in the chapter on the Sapotaceae
>>>family of plants.  According to him, the cultivated sapodilla fruit that is
>>>marketed is one of about 85 species that occur throughout the tropics; it is
>>>Manilkara zapota [ L.] van Royen. (How's that for a name?)  It is different
>>>from the native species of South Florida, which has a wider distribution in
>>>the Bahamasis, called M. bahamenesis.  The book includes a plant key in each
>>>chapter, which states for these plants:
>>>
>>>"1A.  Leaves usually > 5 cm long, apex usually pointed; fruit 5-8 cm in
>>>diameter.      Corolla lobes of flower white, without appendages on the
>>>back...............                                       M. zapota
>>>
>>> 1B.  Leaves usually < 5 cm long, apex often knotched; fruit about 3 cm in
>>>diameter.  Corolla lobes of flower yellow, with appendages on the
>>>      back..............                                   M. bahamensis"
>>>
>>>        M. bahamanansis is also listed as being known as Achras emarginata
>>>[L.] Little and Mimusops emarginata [L.] Britton.
>>>        Details in this book concentrate on the Florida variety, of course.
>>>Since it sounds better to me for bonsai, I am going to include the
>>>information here.  
>>>        " This is a salt-tolerant tree of coastal hammocks and scrub in the
>>>southernmost part of  the state and especially the Florida Keys where it
>>>often grows as a dense shrub.  It is recognized by the copious milky latex,
>>>clusters of leathery, elliptical, glaucus leaves which are often notched at
>>>the apex, and the hard, brown, scurfy persistant fruits.  Younger parts are
>>>covered with reddish T-shaped hairs and there are minute ephimeral stipules.
>>>The size and texture of the leaves varies somewhat with the situation; in
>>>dry exposed regions they are quite hard and characteristically inrolled.
>>>The wood lacks growth rings.
>>>        Growth.  Trees are evergreen with pronounced 'Terminalia-branching'
>>>with each erect unit of the twigs characteristically swollen and with
>>>numerous close-set leaf scars.  Extension growth is always from a lateral
>>>bud from the base of the previous short-shoot.  Growth of the erect
>>>short-shoots is distinctly periodic with resting bud enclosed by reduced
>>>leaves (bud scales).
>>>        Flowering and Fruiting. Flowers are produced in 3's in the leaf
>>>axils of leaves on the lower parts of short-shoots, i.e.,not in direct
>>>association with new leaves.  There seem to be 2 main flowering periods, one
>>>in spring (April-May) and a second in the fall (October-November) so that
>>>fruits can occur on flowering trees."
>>>        (Physiology of the flower form, ovule, etc is omitted here.)
>>>"Fruits take several months to ripen, as spherical, usually one-seeded
>>>berries, with a very hard rind and little flesh.  The surface is brown and
>>>covered with scales, as in the sapodilla."
>>>        This is probably more than anyone in their right minds thought
>>>existed on this plant (or really wanted to know), but maybe it has been or
>>>can be collected along with Buttonwoods for bonsai.  Sounds like more
>>>potential than the cultivated, edible sapodilla, which is described
>>>thoroughly in:  You Can Grow Tropical Fruit Trees by Robert Mohlenbrock,
>>>Great Outdoors Publishing Company, 1980, p46-47.  He states that the
>>>sapodilla grows wild in Mexico and Central America where it is also known as
>>>naseberry and dilly plant. Achras zapota has been prefered by some botanists.
>>>        He gives very specific description and culture information: 
>>>" Sapodilla  is a large, slow-growing evergreen which may eventually reach a
>>>height of 50 feet.  The sturdy branches spread to give the tree a very
>>>pleasing spreading crown.
>>>        Leaves:  The stiff, leathery leaves are lanceolate to ovate and
>>>pointed at the tip.  They range up to 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.  The
>>>glossy green surface of the toothless leaves is particularly attractive.
>>>        Flowers:  Three-eights inch wide, greenish-white flowers are borne
>>>singly in the leaf axils of the leaves.  Most sapodillas will flower several
>>>times during the year.
>>>        Fruit:  Sapodilla fruits are rounded to somewhat egg-shaped and up
>>>to 4 inches in diameter.  The brownish skin is rough in appearance.  Inside
>>>the outer skin is a smooth or gritty  light brown flesh.  The flesh has a
>>>delightfully pleasant taste, but gritty fruits may prove to be distasteful.
>>>It is best to pick fruit when it is hard and allow it to soften off the
>>>tree.  Sapodillas are produced mostly during the summer.
>>>        Varieties:  three major varieties are available to the Florida home
>>>owner.  Probably the most productive is the well named Prolific, which may
>>>produce as muchas 6 bushels of sapodillas per year.  Other varieties which
>>>are satisfactory are Brown Sugar and Modello.
>>>        Environment.  Climate:  Sapodillas are resistant to winds becouse of
>>>their sturdy branch structure, but they are susceptible to cold.  Large
>>>established trees can tolerate a drop in temperature to 26 degrees F for a
>>>short time, but young trees will be killed at 32 degrees.  As a result,
>>>sapodillas will grow  only in coastal Florida from Bradenton south on the
>>>west coast and from Ft. Pierce on the east coast.  Soil and moisture:
>>>Sapolilla will tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions.  It does best, of
>>>course, in a well drained loam, hut it also is suitable in poor, limey siols
>>>found in southern Florida an the Keys.
>>>        Cultivation.  Fertilization:  As with most newly planted trees,
>>>fertilization is beneficial.  Every 2 months during the first year after
>>>planting, apply 1/4 pound of an 8-4-8 fertilizer.  Then applu 1 pound of
>>>8-4-8 twice each year.  Pruning:  Pruning is not required for the sapodilla.
>>>Propagation:  Grafted plants are the best way to insure good fruits and a
>>>fast start, although th esapodilla does grow faifly wellfrom seed.  Seed
>>>grown plants often have inferior fruits, however.  The best time to set out
>>>sapodillas is in May or June.
>>>        Enemies:  Leaves sometimes become infected with rust.  This can be
>>>controlled with a copper fungicide.  Anothe rproblem is the scale insects
>>>which cause a black, sooty appearance to the leaves.  Using an iol spray
>>>will combat the scales. Little control is known, however, for the Caribbean
>>>fruit fly which lays eggs on the fruit.  The larvae emerge from these eggs
>>>and est the fruits, rendering them worthless.
>>>        Uses:  As an arnamental, sapodilla ranks extremely high because of
>>>its beautiful, rounded crown.  The fruits may be eaten fresh or made into
>>>jams, ice cream, sherbet, or fruit salad.  Sapodilla also produces a gummy
>>>latex in its bark, known aschicle, which is a major ingresient in chewing
gums."
>>>        Both books have very good drawings of these trees, flowers, and
>>>fruits.  I have not tried to paraphrase these works, since that would be
>>>hard to do and keep the concise, detailed information as accurate as
>>>possible.  As far as my words are concerned, any of them may be reproduced
>>>in the TOW.  You will probably have a better idea than I have of the amount
>>>from the 2 books that every one would be interested in hearing.  None of it
>>>is written about bonsai directly, but it does give some adaptable
information.
>>>
>>>Cathy  
>>>
>>>


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Information Sources:

Information on the Sapodilla is taken completely from a very
extensive piece sent to me by cathy@southeast.net.  Thanks Cathy!



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