Bakupari

https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/bakupa...

Index | Search | Home | Morton

Morton, J. 1987. Bakupari. p. 309310. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F.
Morton, Miami, FL.

Bakupari
Rheedia brasiliensis Planch. & Triana
Of the approximately 45 species of Rheedia (family Guttiferae), several have
edible fruits. Perhaps the best-known is the bakupari, R. brasiliensis Planch.
& Triana, which is also known as bacupary or bacoropary in Brazil; as
guapomo in Bolivia.
The very attractive tree is pyramidal like that of the bakuri but smaller; is
equally rich in yellow latex. The leaves are short-petioled, ovate,
oblong-ovate or lanceolate, narrowed at the base, blunt or slightly pointed at
the apex, and leathery. The owers, profuse in axillary clusters, are
polygamous. The fruit, ovate, pointed at the apex, may be 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in
(3.2-4 cm) long, with orange-yellow, pliable, leathery, tough skin, 1/8 in (3
mm) thick and easily removed. The aril-like pulp is white, translucent, soft,
subacid, of excellent avor, and encloses 2 rounded seeds.
The tree grows wild in the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil and
adjacent Paraguay; is rarely cultivated. It blooms in December and matures
its fruit in January and February. The ripe fruit is mostly used in making
sweetmeats or jam.
The seeds contain 8 to 9% oil (by weight) which is used in Brazil in poultices
on wounds, whitlows, tumors and, externally, over an enlarged liver. An
infusion of the pulp has a narcotic action with an eect like that of nicotine.
The root bark extract contains rheediaxanthone and a polyprenylated
benzophenone, other lesser constituents, and 3 new prenylated xanthones.
Related Species
The mameyito, R. edulis Triana & Planch. (syn. Calophyllum edule Seem.), is
also known as arrayan and palo de frutilla in Guatemala; waiki plum in
Belize; chaparrn in El Salvador; caimito or caimito de montaa in Honduras;
jorco in Costa Rica; sastra in Panama; berba in the Philippines.
The elegant, erect tree, ranging up to 100 ft (30 m), has copious gummy,
yellow latex and opposite, short-petioled, thick, leathery, elliptic-oblong or
elliptic-lanceolate leaves, 3 3/16 to 6 in (8-15 cm) long, 3/4 to 2 in (2-5 cm)
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wide, or much larger, with numerous

lateral veins conspicuous on both
surfaces; dark-green above, pale or
brownish on the underside. Young
foliage is reddish. The small,
greenish-white or ivory owers, densely
clustered below the leaves, are
4-petalled, the male with 25 to 30
stamens, the perfect with 10 to 12. The
fruit is oval or oblong, 3/4 to 1 1/4 in
(2-3.2 cm) long, smooth, orange or
yellow, the thin, soft skin easily peeled. Fig. 83-b: Peeled mangosteens, in
light sirup, canned in Thailand, are
There is a little esh, sweet or acid,
appearing in Asiatic food outlets in
adhering to the 1 or 2 seeds.
the United States.1According to the
The tree is native and common in
Wall Street Journal, April 7, 1987,
humid forests on both the Atlantic and fresh fruits, cut open, inspected,
Pacic sides of Central America, from sealed with tape, and quick-frozen,
southern Mexico to Panama, up to an
are exported from Malaysia to Japan
elevation of 4,000 ft (1,200 m). It is
where they sell readily at nearly $4
often planted in Central America as a
each. They are defrosted in boiling
shade or ornamental tree. It has been water for 2 minutes before eating.
grown in the Philippines, Puerto Rico
and California. The fruits mature from late January to March in Costa Rica.
The heartwood is rose-yellow, hard, medium-heavy, coarse-textured, with
numerous gum ducts, but tough, strong, easy to work, fairly durable, and
valued for construction because it is nearly immune to insects. It is also used
for tool handles, fenceposts, and temporary railroad ties. The bark is rich in
tannin.
The bacuripari, R. macrophylla Planch. & Triana, is also called bacury-pary
in Brazil; charichuela in Peru.
It is a pyramidal tree, 26 to 40 ft (8-12 m) tall, with sti, leathery, lanceolateoblong or broad-lanceolate leaves, 12 to 18 in (30-45 cm) long and 3 to 7 in
(8-18 cm) wide, pointed at both ends, with numerous lateral, nearly
horizontal veins. New foliage is maroon. The 4-petalled, male and female
owers are home in small axillary clusters on separate trees, the male on
delicate stalks to 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long and having numerous stamens, the
female on thick, short stalks and sometimes having a few stamens with
sterile anthers.
The fruit is rounded-conical, pointed at one or both ends, about 3 3/16 in (8
cm) wide, with thick yellow rind, usually smooth, sometimes rough,
containing gummy yellow latex. The white, aril-like pulp, agreeably subacid,
encloses 3 to 4 oblong seeds.

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The tree is native to humid forests of Surinam and Brazil to northern Peru.
The fruit is not much esteemed but widely eaten and sold in native markets.
The bacuripari was introduced into Florida in 1962 and planted at the
Agricultural Research and Education Center in Homestead, at Fairchild
Tropical Garden and in several private gardens. One tree fruited in 1970,
another in 1972, and the latter has continued to bear. Young specimens have
been killed by drops in temperature to 29 to 30 F (-1.67--1.11 C). Older
trees have been little harmed by 27 to 28 F (-2.78--2.22 C). The tree is
accustomed to light-to moderate-shade. Seeds have remained viable for 2 to
3 weeks but require several weeks to germinate.
In Brazil, the tree blooms from August to November and the fruits mature
from December to May. In Florida, owers appear in April and May and a
second time in August and September, and the fruits are in season from May
to August and again in October and November. Some 15-to 20-year-old trees
have produced 100 to 200 fruits when there have been no adverse weather
conditions.
The madroo, R. madruno Planch. & Triana, may be called machari or fruta
de mono in Panama; cerillo in Costa Rica; cozoiba in Venezuela; kamururu in
Bolivia.
The tree is erect, lush, compact, with pyramidal or nearly round crown, 20 to
65 ft (6-20 in) high, and has much gummy yellow latex. The opposite leaves
are elliptic to oblong, wedge-shaped at the base, rounded or pointed at the
apex, 2 3/8 to 8 in (6-20 cm) long, 3/4 to 3 in (2-7.5 cm) wide; dark green
above, paler beneath, with numerous veins conspicuous on both surfaces and
merging into a thick marginal vein. The fragrant male and female owers are
borne on separate trees in clusters of up to 14 in the leaf axils; have 4
reexed, pale-yellow petals; the male, 25 to 30 light-yellow stamens. The
fruit is round or ellipsoidal, sometimes with a prominent nipple at each end;
2 to 3 in (5-7.5 cm) long, with thick, leathery, warty, greenish-yellow rind
containing a deep-yellow, resinous latex. The white, translucent, juicy,
sweet-acid, aromatic pulp adheres tightly to the 1 to 3 ovate or oblong seeds
which are about 3/4 in (2 cm) long.
The tree is native to the Golfo Dulce region of Costa Rica, the Atlantic slope
of Panama, and northern South AmericaColombia and Ecuador through
Venezuela to Guyana and Bolivia. It is particularly common in the Cauca
Valley of Colombia where the fruits are marketed in quantity. It is limited to
elevations below 4,000 ft (1,200 in). Dr. Wilson Popenoe collected seeds for
the United States Department of Agriculture near Palmira, Colombia, in 1921
(S.P.I. #52301). The tree was introduced into Puerto Rico in 1923 and into
the Philippines at about the same time. A few old trees have been fruiting
more or less in southern Florida for many years, in midsummer. In Costa
Rica, owers are borne from December to February and fruits from May to
August.

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Bakupari

https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/bakupa...

The yellow latex of the tree is used in Panama to treat ulcers and other sores.
The wood is pinkish and hard but not commonly used.
Fig. 83-b: Peeled mangosteens, in light sirup, canned in Thailand, are
appearing in Asiatic food outlets in the United States.1 According to the Wall
Street Journal, April 7, 1987, fresh fruits, cut open, inspected, sealed with
tape, and quick-frozen, are exported from Malaysia to Japan where they sell
readily at nearly $4 each. They are defrosted in boiling water for 2 minutes
before eating.
Last updated: 3/26/116 by ch

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