Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen | |
Sapotaceae | |
Chappotta | |
| Botanical Name | Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen |
| Synonyms | Achradelpha mammosa .(L.) O.F.Cook ; Achras dactylina. Lundell. |
| Family | Sapotaceae |
| Common Name | English : Sapota / Tamil : Chappotta |
| Distribution | Global: Mexico, Central America, Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia. Indian: Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. |
| Description | Medium sized evergreen tree p to 15 - 20 m height, bark Grey brown, white, gummy latex present. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic to ovat, margin entire. Inflorescence solitary or cyme. Flowers white, inconspicuous and bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla. An unripe fruit has a firm outer skin and when picked, releases white chicle from its stem. A fully ripened fruit has saggy skin and does not release chicle when picked. Fruit large berry. Inside, its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to an earthy brown color with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. Sees 1-6 hard, glossy, and black, resembling beans, with a hook at one end. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | August-October and January onwards |
| Uses | Edible fruit, Gum and tannin, construction, railway ties, furniture, joinery. |
| Medicinal Uses | Diuretic, ant diarrheal, antibiotic, anti hyperglycemic, hypo-cholesterolemic effects, used to cure diarrhoea and fever. |
| Tamil Name | Chappotta |