Talisia esculenta

Talisia esculenta, or pitomba, is a fruit tree in the Sapindaceae family. Its native range runs from Bolivia to Guyana and Paraguay. It also grows in Brazil. People gather its fruit from wild trees and grow it in home orchards. Local street markets sell the crop. It grows in lowland rainforests, including old forest and regrowth. It favours valley floors but avoids ground that floods.

Pitomba forms a dense, round crown. Garden references give a height and spread near 33 feet [10 metres]. A broader height range reaches 20–46 feet [6–14 metres]. The trunk can reach 1–1.3 feet [0.3–0.4 metres] across. Sources describe trees that retain their leaves or shed some seasonally. One source also calls the tree deciduous. The alternate leaves are pinnate, with several leaflets forming each leaf. Small white flowers grow in panicles. Rounded to oval fruits follow in groups of 10–20.

The ripe fruit has brown to yellow skin. Each fruit measures about 0.10 feet [0.03 metres] long. Inside, a thin layer of translucent pulp surrounds one or two large seeds. The pulp tastes sweet and tart and is eaten raw. The sources report no known hazards. This does not establish that every plant part is safe. The edible evidence concerns the fruit pulp, not the seeds. Pitomba suits a food forest or home fruit orchard where the climate allows.

This tree grows best in hot, wet tropical lowlands. Kew also places it within the seasonally dry tropical biome. Give it sun and deep, fertile soil with good drainage. It accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils. Its listed pH range spans mildly acid to mildly alkaline. Keep the soil moist rather than flooded. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12. Growth ranges from moderate to fast in the sources. Young trees may reach 8 feet [2.5 metres] within two years. Sow fresh seeds promptly and keep the seed compost moist. Seedlings need light shade while they establish.

The wood is hard and heavy, with a pale yellow-brown heartwood. Builders use it for indoor floors, ceilings, and door frames. It also serves for boxes and other carpentry. It resists some insect damage but has poor resistance to rot. Local medicine uses the roots for poisoning and in mixtures for jaundice. These are reported traditional uses, not proven treatments. The supplied sources give no specific garden pest or disease problems.