Bunchosia is a genus of approximately 92 species of trees and shrubs in the family Malpighiaceae, placed in the order Malpighiales. The genus ranges across the Neotropics, from Mexico and the Caribbean southward through Central America to Peru, southern Brazil, and northeast Argentina. Plants occupy a variety of habitats, including relatively dry woodlands, savannas, and wet forests.
Within Malpighiaceae — a family of about 71 genera — Bunchosia is one of only three arborescent genera that produce fleshy, bird-dispersed fruits, the other two being Malpighia and Byrsonima. This fruit type, often described as resembling small plums or olives in texture, has made certain species of interest for cultivation. The most widely grown is Bunchosia glandulifera, known as peanut butter fruit for the thick, sweet pulp that clings to its seeds and carries a pronounced peanut butter-like flavour. Bunchosia argentea, called silver peanut butter fruit or mountain plum, is notable for the silvery, silky hairs coating the undersides of its leaves.
The genus was named by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, who derived the name from bunchos, an old Arabic word for coffee, comparing the paired seeds — flat on one side and convex on the other — to coffee beans. At least one species is reported to have poisonous seeds.
Etymology
The genus name Bunchosia was coined by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, who derived it from bunchos, an old Arabic word for coffee. He chose the name because the paired seeds of these plants — flat on one side and convex on the other — resemble coffee beans.
Distribution
Bunchosia species are native to the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and the Caribbean through Central America to Peru, southern Brazil, and northeast Argentina. They grow in a variety of habitats, including dry woodlands, savannas, and wet forests.
