Spondias dulcis

Gold plum

The gold plum ( Spondias dulcis ), also called Ambarella, is a species of the genus Mombinpflaumen ( Spondias ) in the family of Sumac ( Anacardiaceae ). It is a mainly widespread in Polynesia fruit tree.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The gold plum grows a tree. The sizes vary greatly depending on the author: they range 6-12 meters plant height at 45 inches diameter at breast height ( dbh ) up to 30 meters plant height and 80 cm dbh. The crown is usually constructed symmetrically and a few strong branches. The bark of the trunk is smooth, at first green, later gray-brown. The straight grained and lackluster wood has a whitish to gray sapwood and a gray-brown core.

The alternate arranged on the branches leaves are pinnate and are 20 to 60 inches long. The 9 to 25 leaflets are each short-stalked, elliptical and a maximum width of 2.5 centimeters around 6 inches long. The leaf margin is serrated and slightly bent downward. At the beginning of the dry - cool season fall off the leaves, then, after a few weeks using the new growth.

Generative features

The flowers are in 20 to 30 centimeters long, paniculate inflorescences. In each inflorescence there are female, male and hermaphrodite flowers. The flowers are fünfzählig with ten stamens, the petals are up to 3 millimeters long. The stamp sits on a disc and is fünfgriffelig.

The fruits ripen throughout the year. There are round to elliptical drupes from 5 to 10 centimeters in length and weighing up to 500 grams. The fruits are for two to twelve of us at hanging fruit stands. The shell is thin, firm and brown at the beginning. At maturity peel and pulp are golden brown. The mesocarp is juicy, tart and gets a pineapple -like flavor. When the fruit is soft, it gets a musky odor. The flesh has the following composition: 0.5 to 0.8 % protein, 0.3 to 1.8 % fat, 8 to 10.5 % sugar, 0.85 to 3.6 % fiber. In the harsh and 2.5 to 3.7 centimeters long stone core sit one to five seeds.

Occurrence

The natural occurrence of gold plum is located in Polynesia, New Guinea in the west, Fiji and Samoa to the Society Islands in the East.

Sophistication it is in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka), rare in America (Jamaica, West Indies, Venezuela, Brazil).

Use

In the foreground is the use as a fruit. The green fruits fall from the tree and are stored until ready for eating ( climacteric fruits). The sweet and sour stone fruits are either eaten fresh or processed into juices and jams. From immature fruit jelly is prepared ( pectin content approximately 9.8%). In Southeast Asia, the young leaves are eaten raw because of its sour taste.

The wood is well suited for the production of veneers, plywood and shingles.