Chrysophyllum cainito L.

 

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonym: Chrysophyllum sericeum Salisb. 

Vernacular name: Abiaba,Aguay,Caimito,Estrella

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Cultivated, also runs wild

Distribution:  West Indies, Central America

Flowering and Fruiting: July-September

Key identification features: These trees grow up to 25m in height. Their bark is greyish to dark brownish-black, with shallow vertical cracks. The leaves are simple and alternate, arranged in a distichous pattern. The flowers appear in axillary fascicles of 5-30. The corolla is white. The stamens number 5. The fruit is globose and is purplish-brown and glabrous..

 Uses: For curing diabetes and fighting against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.  The leaf extract increases wound healing speed and assists in regulating fat uptake.