'''Spondias mombin''' is a
species of
flowering plant in the family
Anacardiaceae. It originates from and is distributed throughout the
Neotropics from southern
Mexico to
Peru and
Brazil, including the
West Indies. The tree is also
naturalized in parts of
Africa,
India and
Indonesia. It is rarely cultivated.
The fruit has a leathery skin and a thin layer of pulp. The pulp is either eaten fresh, or made into juice, concentrate,
jellies , and
sherbets. In
Suriname's
traditional medicine, the infusion of the leaves is used as a treatment of eye
inflammation,
diarrhea and
venereal diseases. The seed has an oil content of 31.5%.
It has several common names; in the Caribbean islands it is known as 'yellow mombin' or 'hog plum', while in
Jamaica it is called 'Spanish plum' or 'gully plum'. In
Ghana, it is hog plum or 'Ashanti plum'. Other common names include 'true yellow mombin', 'golden apple' or 'Java plum'.
The name of the city of
Bangkok,
Thailand is believed to derive from ''makok'' (มะกอก), the
Thai name for the fruit of ''S. mombin''.
See also
★ '
List of plants of Cerrado vegetation of Brazil'
★ ''
Spondias purpurea'' (Purple mombin)
★ ''
Spondias tuberosa'' (Umbú)