Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Metachlamydeae: Ericales

Sapotaceae - Milkwood family

Kupicha, F.K. (1983) Sapotaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(1)

Description of the family

Trees and shrubs, with milky latex (sometimes produced rather reluctantly); branching pattern repeatedly subterminal. Indumentum of microscopic T-shaped, Y-shaped or medifixed hairs, often reddish-brown on young leaves and branchlets. Stipules present or 0. Leaves alternate, often clustered at ends of branches, simple, petiolate, entire. Flowers usually solitary or in fascicles, in leaf axils or on older wood, bisexual, rarely unisexual by reduction, actinomorphic. Calyx in 1 row, 5-merous or with 2 rows of 3 segments each (Manilkara) or 4 segments each (Mimusops, Vitellariopsis). Corolla gamopetalous; petals simple or with two appendages. Stamens inserted in the corolla tube. Ovary superior. Fruit a berry (in ours) with sticky, often edible, pulp. Seeds ± flattened-ellipsoid with shiny testa.

Worldwide: 53 genera and 975 species, tropical, few temperate.

Zimbabwe: 2 cultivated genera and 4 cultivated taxa.

No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Chrysophyllum L.Description, Image
Mimusops L.Description

Other sources of information about Sapotaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Sapotaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Sapotaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Sapotaceae
Flora of Malawi: Sapotaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Sapotaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Sapotaceae
Flora of Zambia: Sapotaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sapotaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sapotaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sapotaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sapotaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sapotaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sapotaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sapotaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Sapotaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sapotaceae
Wikipedia: Sapotaceae
Plants of the World Online: Sapotaceae
Tropicos: Sapotaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Sapotaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=205, retrieved 28 March 2024

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