Manilkara zapota (L.) Royen, Sapotaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

High risk, score: 9 (go to the risk assessment (Pacific)).
Evaluate, score: 5 (go to the risk assessment (Florida (U.S.)).

Other Latin names:  Achradelpha mammosa O. F. Cook; Achras zapota L.; Lucuma mammosa C. F. Gaertn.; Sapota zapotilla (Jacq.) Coville

Common name(s): [more details]

English: chicle, naseberry, sapodilla, sapote

Filipino: chico

French: sapotier, sapotillier

Japanese: sabojira, sapojira

Spanish: chico sapote, níspero, zapote, zapotillo

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trees, to 18 m. Leaves: petiole 10-30 mm; blade elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 60-140 x 20-50 mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins sinuate, apex acute to acuminate (often folded on pressed specimens), surfaces brown-tomentose along midrib or glabrous abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Inflorescences solitary flowers. Pedicels 10-20 mm, rufous-tomentose Flowers: sepals ovate to lanceolate, 7-10 mm, apex acute to obtuse, tomentose; petals white, unlobed or irregularly 2-3-lobed, margins entire to irregularly 3-dentate apically, glabrous or sparsely hairy, corolla 7-11 mm, tube 4-6 (-7) mm (equaling or exceeding lobes); staminodes petaloid; ovary hairy. Berries ellipsoid or depressed-globose to subglobose, 35-80 mm, surface roughened, scaly; pedicels slightly enlarged distally. Seeds 2-10, 15-25 mm"  (Flora of North America online).

Habitat/ecology:  "A species of the lowland rainforest. Trees grow well in a wide range of climatic conditions from wet tropics to dry cool subtropical areas. But they prefer a moist hot climate similar to that found at medium to low elevations in tropical areas, such as in coastal regions. Fruiting is not adversely affected by heavy rainfall, but high temperatures (42-43 deg. C) are harmful. Trees prefer full sunshine and are fairly hardy and resistant to wind damage when mature. Young trees are frost tender and may be killed at freezing point or below, whereas mature trees can withstand short periods of temperatures of about -3 deg. C"  (Agroforestree Database).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua; widely cultivated elsewhere  (Flora of North America online).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 205)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 135) Vouchers cited: F.R. Fosberg 26263 (BISH), F.R. Fosberg 60446 (BISH)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Taravai Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 3691 (PAP)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 2499 (PAP)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 205)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1994) (voucher ID: BISH 637726) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: BISH 69065) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1947) (voucher ID: BISH 415058) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1925) (voucher ID: BISH 586766) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Wotje (Wõjjã) Atoll		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: PTBG 49758) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 128) Vouchers cited: MacKee 11929, MacKee 35628, MacKee 39842
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 205)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 520)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1994) (voucher ID: BISH 659972) Taxon name on voucher: Manilkara zapota

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	uncertain if native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 59)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Information from Morton, J. 1987. Sapodilla. p. 393-398. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL.
Fact sheet from the USDA Forest Service (PDF).
Information from the Agroforestry Database (PDF).

Additional online information about Manilkara zapota is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Manilkara zapota as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Manilkara zapota may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 0. Voucher specimen #BISH69065(Rock, J.F.C. s.n.).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1925. Voucher specimen #BISH586766(Brown, F.B.H. 1264).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1947. Voucher specimen #BISH415058(St.John, H. 22810).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1994. Voucher specimen #BISH637726(Flynn, Tim 5511).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1994. Voucher specimen #BISH659972(Herbst, D.R. 9681).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 2011. Flora of North America North of Mexico (online edition).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

International Center for Research in Agroforestry. 2008. AgroForestryTree database: a tree species reference and selection guide (online resource). World Agroforestry Centre.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2011. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

Morton, Julia F. 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, Florida.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 0. Voucher specimen #PTBG49758(Nancy Vander Velde 0514200928).

Porcher, Michel H. 2011. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. The University of Melbourne, Australia. Online resource.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.