TROPICAL FRUITS AND NUTS

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TROPICAL FRUITS AND NUTS
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David S. Seigler Department of Plant
BiologyUniversity of IllinoisUrbana, Illinois
61801 USAseigler_at_life.illinois.eduhttp//www.l
ife.illinois.edu/seigler
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Tropical Fruits and Nuts Outline

• Importance
• Local
• World-wide
• Botanical
• Domestication
• Changes -some ancient
• Cultivation - propagation - rarely monoculture -
  why not?

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• Most Important
• Bananas
• Citrus
• Pineapple
• Avocado
• Mango
• Tropical nuts- importance
• Coconut
• Cashew

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READING
CHAPTER 4 IN TEXT.
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Fruits from market in Panama
Courtesy Dr. Carol Augspurger
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Tropical fruits in a Queensland market
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Introduction

• Many types of tropical fruits. Some exotic and
  not found commonly in temperate regions of the
  world.
• Others are well-known cultivars such as tomatoes,
  squash, green peppers and cucumbers.
• Most of the other types of tropical crops are
  perennials that cannot be cultivated in temperate
  zones of the world.

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• More types of fruits in the tropics than in
  temperate portions of the world
• Few previously known here. The situation has
  changed in recent years. Many exotic tropical
  fruits are "in".
• In the tropics, most gathered wild or cultivated
  on a local scale and consumed locally.

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• Bananas, citrus crops, pineapples, mangoes, and
  avocados are major exceptions.
• See the table of tropical fruits and nuts on pg.
  76.
• Tables of production, p. 77.

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Bananas

• Bananas (Musa sp., Musaceae) are from southeast
  Asia. The taxonomy is complex. They were early
  taken to Madagascar and Africa by the
  Indonesians. In 600 B.C. they were in India.
  Alexander the Great saw them there. In 1522 in
  West Africa. To the Americas by 1516.
• Other evidence indicates that bananas were also
  domesticated in east Africa at an early date.

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Banana plantations in Jamaica
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Musa sapientum, bananas, Musaceae
Carolina Biological Supply Co.
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Banana leaves and plantains
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• Most banana species have seeds.
• Common cultivars are sterile triploids.
• Most bananas in the tropics cooked, but many also
  are eaten fresh.
• Most of bananas in the U.S. are the latter type.

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Primitive, probably diploid, banana
Balick and Cox, Plants, People, and Culture
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• The rise of bananas as a cultivated crop is
  linked to the history of the United Fruit
  Company.
• In 1900, the company developed a good transport
  system to ship bananas to market.
• They perfected the conditions to ship the fruits
  without spoilage and to ripen them at exactly the
  proper time for market.
• They also dominated the politics of many Central
  American countries.

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• Bananas reproduced vegetatively. This leads to
  many fungal disease problems.
• See figures pg. 94.
• Musa textilis (abaca) is used as a fiber crop.

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Citrus crops

• Domesticated members of this genus are difficult
  taxonomically because of selection of mutants and
  hybridization in agricultural practice.
• All have a hesperidium for a fruit. This is
  basically a berry with a leathery skin (exocarp
  and mesocarp together) and oil glands.
• The endocarp has modified fleshy hairs or juice
  sacs that are the part we eat.

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Citrus fruits
The Complete Book of Fruits Vegetables, F.
Bianchini, F. Corbetta, M. Pistola, Crown
Publishers, New York, 1973
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• Citrus fruit keeps relatively well. None of this
  group is native to the low, wet tropical regions
  of the world.
• They seem to prefer dry climates with lots of
  sunshine.
• They cannot tolerate severe frosts well.
• The citron (Citrus medica) was the first
  introduced into Europe.

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• Almost all are propagated vegetatively. The
  orange (Citrus sinensis, Rutaceae) is the most
  widely cultivated of all of the Citrus crops.
• The wild ancestors are not known.
• Oranges transferred to the Persian empire. The
  Moors brought them to Spain. The Spanish and
  Portuguese introduced them into the New World.
• Most U.S. oranges from Florida, Texas and
  California.
• Diagram of orange flowers etc. p. 79.

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• Citrus aurantium or bitter orange used for
  marmalade and liquors.
• Citrus aurantifolia, the lime, from East Indies.
  The Arabs used them by 1000 A.D. They were
  introduced into Europe by 12th or 13th century.
  Used to treat scurvy by the British.
• Citrus reticulata, the tangerine was brought to
  the U.S. and to Europe about 1800. From S.E.
  Asia.

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Pomello, Citrus grandis, Rutaceae
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• Citrus paradisi, the grapefruit, arose
  spontaneously in the West Indies. Considered to
  be a hybrid between the pummelo (C. maxima) and
  the sweet orange (C. sinensis) by some.
• Pink grapefruit (e.g., Ruby Red) are "sports" or
  somatic mutations.
• Ruby Red arose in McAllen, Texas, in 1929 and is
  propagated vegetatively.

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Grapefruit, Citrus paradisi, Rutaceae
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Lemon, Citrus limon, Rutaceae
Citrus limon often associated with Italian
descent peoples. Lemons often used for flavoring
foods.
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Pineapple, Ananas comosus, Bromeliaceae

• Widely distributed in the New World when Columbus
  came.
• Pineapples domesticated by the Guaraní Indians of
  Paraguay.
• Pineapples are multiple fruits.
• Most modern cultivars parthenocarpic. They set
  seed without fertilization.
• Normally, pineapples are reproduced vegetatively.

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Pineapple, Ananas comosus, Bromeliaceae
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• Pineapples were taken to many countries by the
  Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch.
• They were taken to Hawaii by the Dole family.
• In the 1970s, Hawaii grew about 1/3 of world's
  supply. Now about 2.

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Avocados (Persea americana, Lauraceae)
Avocados native to Mexico and Central America.
Exceptional in that they have lipids instead of
sugars or starches. The mesocarp is rich in oil.
2000-2800 calories per kg. Avocados appear
about 7000 B.C. in Mexico. May have been
independently domesticated in at least three
different areas. Introduced into the U.S. by the
Spanish, but did not become common until the
1960s. Today, many are cultivated in Florida and
California.
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Avocados and flowers
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Avocados, Persea americana, Lauraceae
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Primitive avocados
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Mangoes (Mangifera indica, Anacardiaceae)
Mangoes are native to southeast India. Mangoes
taken to the New World by the Portuguese and are
now a major crop in many countries. See pg.
98. Some people are sensitive to the outside of
the fruit.
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Mangos, Mangifera indica, Anacardiaceae
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Dates, Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae
Dates come from the palm family (Arecaceae or
Palmae). Dates have long been an important food
plant. Fruits of wild relatives have been
gathered for thousands of years and presumably
the cultivated ones arose from these. Dates are
nutritious and contain 75 carbohydrate and 2
percent protein. Date palms are dioecious, i.e.,
they have male and female parts on different
plants. By 2300 B.C., agriculturalists had
learned how to pollinate them.
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Collecting pollen and pollinating date palms
Courtesy Dr. Abraham Krikorian
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Figs (Ficus carica, Moraceae)

• Figs are from the Near East. They have been
  cultivated for thousands of years.
• This large genus contains only one important
  commercial fruit crop.
• The fig is frequently mentioned in the Bible and
  other Near Eastern literature.
• Figs are often pollinated by small wasps,
  although some are parthenocarpic or
  self-pollinating.
• Smyrna figs have only female flowers. Smyrna and
  Capri figs often grown together to provide pollen
  source.
• See diagram p. 96.

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Fig, Ficus carica, Moraceae
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Figs in market
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A synconium
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Breadfruit and jackfruit
Breadfruit (Artocarpus atilis, Moraceae) native
to Polynesia. Cultivated for thousands of
years. Tall trees with unisexual flowers. Forms a
multiple fruit. The part eaten is formed by
abortive flowers. See p. 101. Captain Bligh sent
to take them to the West Indies to feed slaves.
He set out in the ship Bounty but encountered
difficulties. Bligh persevered and went back and
finally got breadfruit to the West
Indies. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) has
a similar fruit but sweet tasting.
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Breadfruit, Artocarpus atilis, Moraceae
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Jack fruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Moraceae
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Pomegranates (Punica granatum, Punicaceae)
Pomegranates native to the Old World. Also
cultivated for thousands of years. Brought to
Spain by the Moors by 800 A.D. Spanish
introduced pomegranates into the New
World. Grown for both ornamentals and fruits.
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Pomegranate, Punica granatum, Punicaceae
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The papaya (Carica papaya, Caricaceae)

• Papayas are native to Central America or northern
  South America, but now are cultivated throughout
  the tropics.
• They are in demand in the U.S. mostly for the
  enzyme papain isolated from the immature fruits.
• See p. 100.

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Papaya, Carica papaya, Caricaceae
Courtesy Dr. Mark McClure
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More exotic tropical fruits

• Members of the genus Annona such as the sweet sop
  and the cherimoya.

Courtesy Dr. Nancy Hikes
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Soursop or guanábana, Annona muricata, Annonaceae
They are compound fruits.
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Star fruit or carambola (Averrhoa carambola,
Oxalidaceae) is native to Asia.
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Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidiaceae)
are native to Asia. They were introduced from New
Zealand.
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Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis, Passifloraceae)
native to New World are widely eaten. See p. 103.
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Guavas (Psidium guayaba, Myrtaceae) (native to S.
America) Several other members of this family are
also eaten.
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Hog plum or ciruela, Spondias purpurea,
Anacardiaceae
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Sapotes and sapodillas (most from the
Sapotaceae). Mamey colorado, Calocarpum
mammosum, Sapotaceae
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Amecameca market with mameys
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The akee (Blighia sapida, Sapindaceae) was
introduced from Africa to the West Indies with
black slaves. The national dish of Jamaica. A
number of toxicity problems are associated with
this fruit.
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Lychee, Litchi chinensis, Sapindaceae
The litchi (Litchi chinensis) and the rambutan
(Nephelium lappaceum) are members of the
Sapindaceae. Both native to Asia.
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Rambutan, Nephelium lappaceum, Sapindaceae
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• The "mamon tico" or mamoncillo (Melicocca bijuga)
  is native to Central and South America. Also
  Sapindaceae.
• The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana, Clusiaceae)
  is native to Southeast Asia. Although really
  delicious, it is rarely seen outside of that part
  of the world.

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Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, Clusiaceae
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The durian, Durio zebethinus, Bombacaceae, is
legendary for its odor. This fruit, native to
Southeast Asia, has a creamy texture and is quite
sweet in taste.
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Tropical nut crops

• Many nuts have been utilized and some
  domesticated in the tropics as well as in the
  temperate portions of the world

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The coconut (Cocos nucifera, Arecaceae)

• Coconuts widely used in the tropics today.
• Yield oil, fiber, drink, and food.
• Coconut native to S.E. Asia and early transported
  to many parts of the world by ocean currents and
  also by man. The coconut had apparently just
  arrived in the New World before Columbus.
• Each fruit contains one seed. This is one of the
  largest seeds known.

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Coconut, Cocos nucifera, Arecaceae
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Coconut plantation in northern Venezuela
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Cashew (Anacardium occidentale, Anacardiaceae)

• The cashew is the most important tropical fruit
  that is eaten as a nut.
• This fruit is poisonous until heated and the
  outside portions removed.
• See diagrams pg. 105.
• Cashews are native to northern South America.

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Cashew, Anacardium occidentale, Anacardiaceae
Natural History Magazine
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• The "fruit" is also eaten as a fruit, but usually
  used for making juice.
• Now widely escaped and cultivated in arid
  tropical regions such as India, southern Africa,
  Mexico, Florida, and the Mediterranean.
• India is a major producer.

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Cashew and consumers
Natural History Magazine
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Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia, Proteaceae)

• Macadamia nuts are one of few plants from
  Australia that are cultivated.
• They were taken from Australia to Hawaii where
  most macadamia cultivation is centered.
• The climate there is ideal and Hawaii is one of
  the few places that they can be grown well.

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Macadamia, Macadamia ternifolia, Proteaceae
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Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae)

• Brazil nuts are native to Brazil. They are borne
  in a peculiar fashion, see the diagram pg. 106.
• Brazil nuts usually collected from wild trees.
• They are 66 fat.
• Brazil nut oil is used as an edible oil in
  Brazil.
• A major Brazilian export.

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Brazil nut, Bertholettia excelsa, Lecythidaceae
Courtesy Dr. Carl Bouton
National Geographic
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