Abiu

Abiu
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Sapotaceae
Genus:	Pouteria
Species:	P. caimito
Binomial name
Pouteria caimito Radlk.

The abiu, also known as Pouteria caimito, is a tropical fruit tree located in the Amazonian region of South America. It will grow an average of 33 feet high, and can grow as high as 116 feet under good conditions. Its fruit’s shape varies from round to oval with a point. When ripe, it has smooth bright yellow skin and will have one to four ovate seeds. The inside of the fruit is translucent and white. It has a creamy and jelly-like texture and its taste is sweet like caramel. The abiu is part of the Sapotaceae family.

Growth

The tree grows best in tropical areas and in places that have a warm moist climate all year long. Propagation is nearly always by seeds. The new seeds will germinate quickly if they are fresh. After the seeds are planted, the tree will bear fruit in three or more years. Grafting and air layering will also be used to reproduce the upper strains of the plant.

A tree that has just been planted will be fragile and needs protection from wind and cold weather. It only requires light pruning and should be fed frequently, but lightly.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of the tree range from oblong to elliptic. The can be anywhere from four to eight inches in length and one and a half to two and a half inches in width. The flowers on the tree can come either by themselves or in clusters of two to five flowers. The will come in on the leaf axils on long, thin shoots. The flowers are small and have either four or five petals. The petals are cylindrical and will be white to greenish in color. The flowers are hermaphroditic, which means they are both sexes. The flowers open in the morning and can stay open for about two days.

Location

The abiu is located in the headwaters of the Amazon. It grows wild in the lower eastern part of the Andes from southwestern Venezuela to Peru. It also grows around Iquitos, Peru and it will commonly be found in the Province of Guayas in Ecuador. There in Ecuador they sell the fruits in the markets of Guayaquil. Some other areas you will find the tree growing heavily are in Para and Brazil. It is found sparsely near Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. It can also be found in Colombia in areas such as the regions of Caquetá, Meta and Vaupes and it is very plentiful in the Amazonas, Venezuela. It has also been growing for a very long time in Trinidad. The abiu grows best in areas that have a year-round moist and a warm climate. It will do well in wet soil. It can now be found throughout most of the Amazonia. It is a common dooryard tree in the backyards and streets in the city of many Brazilian towns, but it is not usually grown commercially. The abiu is nearly all tropical. It will thrive in a place that has a year round warm and moist climate, although it has been known to grow will in Rio do Janeiro, which is a somewhat cooler climate. In Peru it cannot grow above 2,000 feet in elevation, but in Colombia it has been found growing up to an elevation of 6,000 feet.

Fruit

The tree contains a fruit that is often eaten out of the hand. Each tree can produce around one hundred to one thousand fruits each year. The fruit has a sweet taste and is often used in ice cream. The skin of the fruit is a yellow color and can have a leathery texture. It has a white translucent pulp.

The fruit is also known as the yellow star apple or the caimito amarillo. In Colombia it is known as the camio. In Ecuador it is know as the luma, which is Spanish, and in Venezuela it is known as the temare. Other common names are madura verde, avio, and in Portugal it is known as the abieiro.

Uses

The fruit of the abiu tree is edible and is eaten out of hand in most cases. In Colombia, it is advised that if you eat the fruit, you grease your lips before eating it in order to keep the gummy latex from sticking to their lips. The fruit of the abiu is also used in ice cream. It can be cut up and put in yogurt for a light and delicious breakfast. Another way to serve the abiu is to scoop out the flesh and sprinkle a little limejuice on it to bring out the flavor, and then chill it. There are not a lot of ways to serve the abiu because it has a very subtle flavor and will be overcome by any other fruit if it is added to a fruit salad.

The wood of the abiu tree is dense, heavy, and hard and it is used in construction. In Brazil, people will eat the pulp in order to relieve coughs, bronchitis, and other pulmonary complaints because the pulp has a mucilaginous nature. Medically, it is used for many things such as adstringent, anti-anemic, and anti-inflammatory. It can help to stop a fever, stop diarrhea, stop coughs, and it also contains many helpful nutrients.

Variations

The abiu varies a lot in form, size and quality of the fruit. Some of the fruits have a firm flesh and others have soft flesh. Some taste bland while others have very nice flavor. In Colombia along the Putamayo River there is a variety that will fruit in four years. This type of fruit is round and large. In Vaupes, Colombia, there is a variety that will bear fruit only one year after seeding, however, these fruits will be small and they won’t have very much pulp. Some other trees that the abiu is closely related to are other sapotes, such as the canistel and mamey sapote.

Season

In Ecuador, the fruits are in season during the months of March and April. In some Brazilian markets, they are sold from September to April, however at this time they are sparse. At Bahia they have a short season in February and March. In Florida, the fruits have become ripe in October. If the fruit is going to be transported to different markets, it can be picked when it is not yet ripe to keep it from being over-ripe when it arrives at the market. The unripe fruit has a gummy latex texture, but the fruit will be ripe by the time the fruit gets to the market.It takes a high amount of time to ship the Abiu fruit but they stay fresh the whole time.If they aren't fresh most markets throw them out but if you come across this problem be sure to bring it back in the Amazon rainforest for birds and butterflys to drink the juice out of it.

Pests and diseases

The fruit is often damaged by small insects, which is the reason why it has very little value commercially. These small insects are known as bichos in Spanish and Portuguese. In Brazil, the main pest that destroys the plant is the fruit fly.

External links

• Abiu in Fruits of Warm Climates
• The Abiu
• Abiu Growing in the Florida Home Landscape Julia F. Morton
• Abiu Julia F. Morton
• Manual Of Tropical And Subtropical Fruits], free online chapter about abiu