| Melicoccus bijugatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaves and fruit | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Melicoccus |
| Species: | M. bijugatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Melicoccus bijugatus | |
| Synonyms | |
Melicoccus bijugatus is afruit-bearingtree in thesoapberry familySapindaceae, native or naturalized across theNew World tropics includingSouth andCentral America, and parts of theCaribbean. Itsstone-bearing fruits, commonly calledquenepa,kenèp orguinep, are edible. Other names for the fruits includelimoncillo,Bajan ackee,chenet,Spanish lime andmamoncillo.[2][3][4]
| Phylogeny ofMelicoccus based on morphological traits, showing the placement ofM. bijugatus.[5] |
The genusMelicoccus was first described byPatrick Browne, an Irish physician and botanist, in 1756. This description was based onM. bijugatus trees which were cultivated in Puerto Rico. In 1760,Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin described the first species in Browne's genus, which he namedM. bijugatus. In 1762 Linnaeus used a spelling variation of the nameMelicocca bijuga. Over the next two centuries, Linnaeus' spelling variation was used in almost all publications. A proposal was made in 1994 to conserveMelicocca overMelicoccus, but the proposal was rejected, leading to a restoration of the original version of the name.[5]
In 1888 German taxonomistLudwig Radlkofer placedMelicoccus in the tribe Melicocceae together with eight other genera. In his monograph on the Neotropical members of the tribe (Talisia andMelicoccus) Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez suggested that althoughTalisia andMelicoccus appeared to form amonophyletic group, the other (Old World) genera probably did not belong to the same lineage.[5]
Thespecific epithetbijugatus refers to thebijugate leaves,[5] leaves which consist of two pairs of leaflets.
_y_Ave._Hostos_(PR-123)%2c_Bo._Playa%2c_Ponce%2c_PR%2c_mirando_al_sureste_(DSC01400).jpg)
Melicoccus bijugatus is native to northern South America andnaturalised in coastal anddry forest in Central America, the Caribbean and parts of theOld World tropics.[5] It is believed to have been introduced into the Caribbean in pre-Columbian times and is also found in India.[6] This fruit, known asquenepa in Puerto Rico, grows particularly abundantly in the municipality ofPonce, and there is a yearly celebration in that municipality known asFestival Nacional de la Quenepa (National Genip Fruit Festival).[7] The fruit ripens during the warm summer months.[8][9]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Trees can reach heights of up to 25 m (82 ft) and come with alternate, compound leaves. Theleaves have fourellipticleaflets which are 5–12.5 cm (2.0–4.9 in) long and 2.5–5 cm (0.98–1.97 in) wide. They are typicallydioecious plants, thoughautogamous trees occur from time to time. Flowers have fourpetals and eightstamens and produce void, greendrupes which are 2.5–4 cm (0.98–1.57 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) wide. Their pulp is orange, salmon or yellowish in color with a somewhat juicy and pasty texture.
The fruit is a round drupe, approximately 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in) in diameter, with a thin, brittle, greenpeel. The bulk of the fruit is made up of the one (or, rarely, two) whitishseeds, which are surrounded by an edible, orange, juicy, gelatinouspulp. There are efforts inPuerto Rico andFlorida to producecultivars with a more favourable flesh-to-seed ratio.
When ripe, the fruits have a sweet-tart or lime-like flavor. The seed, being slippery, is a potential choking hazard to small children.
The main use of the mamoncillo is its sweet fruits, which are consumed fresh or canned, and can also be used in the preparation of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. It can produce a strong yellow dye, although it is rarely used for this purpose.
The pit is also edible. When roasted, it resembles cashew nuts. The indigenous peoples of theOrinoco river consume them as a substitute forcassava, and inNicaragua, they are ground and made intohorchata.
The wood of the tree is pale, dense and moderately heavy with a fine grain, and is used for construction, carpentry, and fine cabinetmaking. However, it is not particularly durable, so its use is limited to indoors. The species is also commonly planted along roadsides as an ornamental tree.[5]
The quenepa fruit is frequently referenced in popular culture in the Spanish Caribbean, including songs such as "Suave" by Puerto Rican rapperRené Pérez (Residente) as part of the bandCalle 13.[10]
Lyrics: "Yo sé que tú quieres chuparme las quenepas"
