Edible Plants of the World

Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip

Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip

A tropical plant. It suits the hot tropical lowlands. It is native to tropical America. It grows up to 1,000 m above sea level in tropical America. It is sensitive to cold. Plants are damaged by temperatures near freezing. It can grow on a range of soils. It is more common in dry areas. It is resistant to drought. It can weather strong tropical storms. It cannot tolerate frost. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Also known as:

Genipe, Ginep, Ginip, Grosella de miel, Guayo, Guenepa, Guinep, Honey-berry, Kanappy, Kenep, Kinep, Knippa, Limoncillo, Mamon, Mamoncillo, Pitomba-das-guianas, Quenep

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Spanish lime grow?

Found in: Africa, Amazon, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Ghana, Grenada, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Marquesas, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Senegal, Singapore, South America, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies

Notes: There are 2 Melicoccus species.

Status: They are sold in markets. It is a cultivated plant.

Growing Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip

Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. The plants vary in quality and yield. Better varieties are air-layered or grafted.

Edible Uses: The fruit is eaten fresh. It is also made into drinks and cooked. They are used in pies, jams, jellies, marmalades and drinks. The seeds are roasted and eaten. CAUTION: Because of the size of the fruit and the fact that they are very slippery, care should be taken that they are not swallowed and block the wind pipe of children.

Production: Trees develop slowly. They take 7-10 years to produce fruit from seed. They can take 4-5 years to fruit from layers. The fruit take 90-150 days to mature. They store and transport well.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 59 0.8 0.6 25 5 - 78.4

Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip Photos

Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip Spanish lime, Mamoncillo, Genip

References

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