ZORRO CASPI

(Tapura amazonica)

Leaves and fruits of zorro caspi

Family: Dichapetalaceae

Other names: Fox fruit, motecillo, pau de bicho,

Zorro caspi is a native is wild growing fruit commonly occurring in the Amazonian Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.  It is believed to be a native of this part of the world only.  This fruit is hardly known in the outside world.

Description:

Tree to 30 m tall, usually much smaller, the young branches fulvoustomentose, becoming glabrous with age.

Leaves elliptic to obovate-oblong or oblong, thickly coriaceous, 3−25 × 3−9 cm,

obtuse to shortly acuminate at apex, the acumen 0−10 mm long, rounded to cuneate and often slightly unequal at base, usually plane rarely slightly bullate above, sparse

to dense-hirsutulous beneath; midrib impressed above, prominent and pubescent

when young beneath; primary veins 8−22 pairs, arcuate, anastomosing near margins;

petioles 6−16 mm long, tomentose, canaliculate. Stipules triangular, 2−4 mm long, pubescent, subpersistent.

Flowers hermaphrodite, sessile or with short pedicels 0.25−2 mm long; borne in dense glomerules on upper portion of petioles; bracteoles 0.5−1 mm long, peristent,

tomentose. Calyx 3.5−5.5 mm long, tomentose on exterior, the lobes unequal.

Corolla exceeding calyx lobes, with 2 larger bicucullate lobes and 3 smaller simple lobes, united at base into a very short tube, the tube glabrous on exterior, filled

by a lanate mass of hair within. Fertile tamens 3, alternating with corolla lobes, and inserted at mouth of short corolla tube, 2 staminodes present. Ovary 3 locular with 2 ovules in each loculus, pilose on exterior. Style with a trifid apex, pubescent throughout.

Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, to 3 cm long, unilocular or bilocular; epicarp shortly

appressed velutinous pubescent; mesocarp 1−4 mm thick; endocarp thin, hard, bony,

glabrous within.

            Seed tan coloured, 1.8 cm long , 1 cm wide.

Utilization:

The fruits are edible, though they are seedy and does not have much pulp.  These are sweet and tasty and it is generally sucked while eating the fruit.

Cultivation:

This fruit can be multiplied by seed which germinates in 3-4 weeks.  The seedlings can be planted in the field after 7-8 months.  These seedlings do not take many years to come into bearing and start bearing fruits after these are 1.5 metres tall.