Chrysobalanaceae
Chrysobalanus

Chrysobalanus icaco L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 513 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Florida to E. Brazil, W. Tropical Africa to Zambia. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Chrysobalanaceae, F. White. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen shrub or tree up to 30 m. tall.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina suborbicular to lanceolate-elliptic, apex emarginate to acuminate, glabrous except for a few appressed hairs on both surfaces; petiole 0·2–0·4 cm. long; stipules intrapetiolar, 0·3 cm. long, boat-shaped, 2-fid, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axillary, up to 3 cm. long, but usually much less, a raceme of cymules, or a congested complex cyme, or flowers in subsessile fascicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle-tube c. 0·15 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 0·15 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals c. 0·25 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 0·3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupe variable in shape and size, ovoid, ellipsoid or obovoid, up to 5 cm. long, usually smaller.
[FZ]

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
hicaco, icaco
[UNAL]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
COCO-PLUM
Morphology General Habit
Usually a shrub or sometimes a small tree with glabrous branches; leaves roundish- elliptic or very broadly obovate, mostly 3–7 cm long, the apex blunt, rounded or retuse
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes paniculate, mostly shorter than the leaves; flowers finely woolly, the calyx-lobes 2.5 mm long, the petals ca. 5 mm long; stamens longer than the petals, with hairy filaments.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupe purplish-red or blackish, more or less ellipsoid, 1.3–3 cm long, the pericarp fleshy and edible.
Distribution
Cayman Islands. Florida, West Indies, and on the continent from Mexico to northern S. America.
Ecology
Common especially in sandy thickets near the sea.
[Cayman]

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/72231760/149056791

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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 - 550 m.; Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Pacífico, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto, árbol
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–550 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Nariño, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub, Tree.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC. 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
Ciruela de algodón, Cocoa plum, Icaco
[UPFC]

Uses

Use
The fruit is edible but rather insipid. The seeds are said to be rich in oil, and the Carib Indians are alleged to have strung them on sticks and burned them like candles.
[Cayman]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Coco Plum

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • 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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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

  • 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