Mamoncillo Facts
Mamoncillo Facts
|
| Interesting Mamoncillo Facts: |
|---|
| Mamoncillo can reach around 85 feet in height. It has round or oval-shaped crown. |
| Mamoncillo has compound leaves that consist of 4 oppositely arranged elliptical leaflets. Leaves are alternately arranged on the branches. |
| Mamoncillo blooms from March to April. Each tree produces either male or female flowers (dioecious plant). Flowers are small, white colored and arranged in dense clusters at the end of the branches. They attract honey bees and hummingbirds, main pollinators of this plant. |
| Mamoncillo is also known as Spanish lime because of its ovoid-shaped, green fruit which looks like unripe lime (unlike lime, mamoncillo is not type of citrus fruit). |
| Fruit of mamoncillo is olive-sized drupe, arranged in loose clusters at the end of the branches. Fruit has smooth, rigid skin on the surface and gelatinous flesh with large seed in the middle. Flesh can be orange, yellow or pinkish colored. Fruit ripens during the summer. |
| Mamoncillo propagates via seed, grafting and budding. |
| Mamoncillo (fruit) is rich source of dietary fibers, vitamins A and C and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. 100 g of fruit contains only 58 calories. |
| Mamoncillo has sweet or sour (usually slightly tangy) taste that resembles the blend of lychee and lime. It can be consumed fresh or used for the preparation of juices, jellies, jams, syrups and various desserts. |
| Name "mamoncillo" refers to the traditional way of eating this fruit. "Mamar" means "to suck" in Spanish. Most people put entire fruit in the mouth and suck it until they remove flesh from the seed. |
| Flour made of ground, roasted seed of mamoncillo can be used as a substitute for cassava flour. |
| Mamoncillo (fruit) facilitates digestion, prevents constipation, lowers blood cholesterol level and improves functioning of immune system. Thanks to high content of tryptophan (type of amino acid), mamoncillo can be useful in treatment of insomnia. |
| Tea made of mamoncillo leaves can be used in treatment of intestinal disorders. Roasted seed mixed with honey can be used in treatment of diarrhea. |
| Leaves of mamoncillo contain substances which repel flies. They can be used instead of conventional chemical insecticides. |
| Mamoncillo (fruit) has light colored juice which leaves dark brown stains on the cloth. Native Americans were familiar with this fact and they used mamoncillo for dyeing of cloth. |
| Mamoncillo is perennial plant (life span: more than 2 years). |
|
Related Links: Facts Plants Facts Animals Facts |