Pouteria campechiana

Pouteria campechiana is a tropical evergreen tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is cultivated for canistel, its edible yellow fruit, also called eggfruit.

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Sapotaceae: A family of flowering plants that includes sapodilla, star apple, and many tropical trees. Pouteria campechiana belongs to this family of latex-bearing trees.
Tropical fruit: Edible fruit produced by plants grown in tropical or subtropical climates. Canistel is cultivated and eaten as one of the tropical fruits.
Mesoamerica: A historical and cultural region extending from central Mexico through much of Central America. The tree’s native distribution lies within this broader region.
Eggfruit: A common name for canistel, referring to its firm yellow flesh and resemblance to cooked egg yolk. This name describes the same fruit and is often used alongside canistel.
Pouteria: A genus of tropical trees and shrubs in the family Sapotaceae. This is the genus that contains Pouteria campechiana.
Fruit cultivation: The growing and management of plants for harvestable fruit. Cultivators grow the tree for its fruit in warm regions.
Mexico: A country in North America with diverse tropical, subtropical, and temperate environments. Mexico forms part of the tree’s native range.
Mamey sapote: The edible fruit of Pouteria sapota, a large tropical tree in the sapodilla family. Its name and genus overlap with canistel, but it is a different species and fruit.
Canistel: The edible yellow fruit of Pouteria campechiana, also known as eggfruit. This is the tree’s cultivated fruit and its best-known product.
Fruit: The mature ovary of a flowering plant, often containing seeds and sometimes eaten by animals or people. Canistel is a botanical fruit as well as a food crop.