Muntingiaceae
Muntingia

Muntingia calabura L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 509 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to S. Tropical America. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as animal food and a medicine and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1100 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Caldas, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub, Small tree, Tree.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Acaruco, Acurruco, Capulín, Chirriador, Chitato, Comida paloma, Majagüito, Majaquillo, Nigua, Nigüito, Pasito, Tapabotija
[UPFC]

Muntingiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2001

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or mostly small tree 2–9(–12) m tall (rarely more); bark tough; indumentum soft, somewhat viscid, densely velvety, of stellate and glandular hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 5–14 cm long, 2–4.5(–5) cm wide, acuminate at the apex, paler grey beneath; petiole 3–6 mm long with dense tuft of hairs near base; stipules linear, 1.5–5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 1.2 cm long, becoming 2.5 cm in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals lanceolate, 8–12 mm long, the filiform tips ± 3 mm long, shorter or longerthan the corolla.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, broadly obovate, 7–12 mm long, 5–10.5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary flask-shaped, shortly stipitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berries yellow turning red, ± globose, 8–15 mm in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds yellow, scarcely 0.5 mm long.
Figures
Fig. 21.
Habitat
Bushland near shore and riverine forest of Parkia, Burttdavya, Diospyros, Mimusops, Terminalia, Sorindeia, etc.; 0–300 m
Distribution
tropical America, Cuba, Hispaniola, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Jamaica, widely introduced elsewhere in New World and into Old World K7 T6
[FTEA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1100 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto, arbolito, árbol
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
acurruco, acuruco, acurucu, acurucú, burrillo, capulín, chicató, chicható, chirriador, chitato, chitató, guayuyu, itató, majagüillo, majagüito, manirito, nigua, nigüito, pasito, periquito, tapabotija, tapabotijo, uvito, vara de paloma
[UNAL]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

unknown
jam tree

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0