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Platonia – Wikipedia

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– Description:
– Platonia insignis is a dry-season deciduous tree, reaching 25–40 m high with a pyramidal crown.
– It has copious yellow latex in the bark and opposite, simple oblong to elliptic leaves.
– The flowers are pink, 5–7cm long, with five petals and numerous stamens.
– The fruit is round to oval, 7–14cm long, with a thick, yellow skin resembling a papaya.
– It has fragrant, sweet and sour white pulp with 3 to 5 seeds.

– Cultivation and uses:
– Bacuri is grown for its fruit, high in phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C.
– The oily brown seeds are used for skin conditions, and the yellowish wood is used as timber.
– The fruit is made into condiments and beverages.
– The white-bellied parrot is a pollinator of the plant.
– The latex contains resinotol.

– Oil and butter:
– Bacuri oil has a high absorption rate due to high levels of tripalmitin.
– The oil is useful as an emollient and moisturizing agent.
– It is a natural source of trioxygenated xanthones.
– The latex contains resinotol.

– References:
– van Rijckevorsel 2002.
– Kirkbride 2007.
– Phylogeny of the Clusioid Clade (Malpighiales) evidence from genomes.
– Chemical composition of Amazonian fruits.
– Trioxygenated naturally occurring xanthones.

– Bibliography:
– Clement, Charles (2006) in The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts.
– Proposal to Conserve the Name Platonia insignis against Moronobea esculenta.
– A 19th Century Brazilian botanical dictionary.

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