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Lucuma bifera

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Lúcuma
Image
Branchlet with leaves, flowers and fruit of Lucuma bifera: Fruit cut in half shown on top left of image
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Lucuma
Species:
L. bifera
Binomial name
Lucuma bifera
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Achras lucuma Ruiz & Pav.
    • Lucuma obovata Kunth
    • Lucuma obovata var. ruizii A.DC.
    • Lucuma biflora J.F.Gmel.
    • Lucuma obovata Kunth
    • Lucuma obovata var. ruizii A.DC.
    • Lucuma peruviana J.St.-Hil.
    • Lucuma turbinata Molina, tentatively listed as a synonym
    • Pouteria insignis Baehni
    • Pouteria lucuma (Ruiz & Pav.) Kuntze
    • Richardella lucuma (Ruiz & Pav.) Aubrév.

Lucuma bifera (synonym Pouteria lucuma) is a species of tree in the family Sapotaceae cultivated for its fruit, the lúcuma. It is native to the Andean valleys of South America.

Description

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This evergreen tree is up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall and has grayish-brown, fissured bark, which produces a milky white exudate.[3][4][5] The end of branchlets and the petioles are covered with short, brown hairs.[4][5] The leaves are simple, oblanceolate to elliptical, up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide, and glabrous (or sometimes slightly hairy on the underside) grouped at the end of the branches.[3][4]

The flowers are solitary or in fascicles, small, axillary, with hairy sepals and a corolla forming a tube 1–1.8 cm (3⁄8–3⁄4 in) long, greenish white, with five lobes, five stamens, five staminodes, a pubescent ovary, and a style 0.8–1.5 cm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) long.[3][4] The fruit is globose, 6–12 cm (2+1⁄4–4+3⁄4 in) long, glabrous, and russet to yellow when mature; the pulp is bright yellow; the one to several seeds are 1.8–3.5 cm (3⁄4–1+3⁄8 in) long, dark brown, and glossy.[3][4]

Distribution and habitat

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L. bifera is native to the Andean valleys of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northern Chile,[2][6][7] at temperate elevations of 2,700–3,000 m (8,900–9,800 ft).[7]

Europeans first reported seeing the fruit in Ecuador in 1531.[7][8]

Cultivation

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In addition to Peru, the fruit is grown also to a limited extent in Bolivia, Chile, and Costa Rica. Attempts at growing lúcuma in Florida's climate are typically not successful.[7] The fruit is successfully grown in Vietnam, where it is known as lêkima.

In Peru, harvesting season is from October to March and in Chile from June to November.[6]

Lucuma[3][5]
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy414.5 kJ (99.1 kcal)
1.5 %
Dietary fiber1.3 %
0.5 %
1.5 %
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin A2.3 IU
Thiamine (B1)
1%
0.01 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
11%
0.14 mg
Niacin (B3)
12%
1.96 mg
Vitamin C
2%
2.2 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
16 mg
Iron
2%
0.4 mg
Phosphorus
2%
26 mg
Potassium
16%
470 mg
Sodium
0%
6 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water64.8 - 72.3 %
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[9] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[10]

Uses

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Lúcuma pulp has a 64–72% moisture content.[3] The pulp also contains glucose, fructose, sucrose, inositol, citric acid, and succinic acid.[3]

When eaten raw, the very sweet fruit is bright yellow and has a mealy and dry texture.[7] In Peru, it is more commonly used as a flavor in juice, milkshakes, and especially ice cream. Its flavor in such preparations has been described variously as being similar to sweet potato, maple syrup, or butterscotch. In Peru, manjar de lúcuma (dulce de leche with lúcuma purée) is a dessert. Multiple sources describe it as the most popular ice cream flavor in Peru[11] and one of the most popular fresh fruits.

In culture

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Representations of lúcuma have been found on ceramics at burial sites of the indigenous people of coastal Peru.[7] The Moche people had a fascination with agriculture and often chose to represent fruits and vegetables, including lúcuma, in their art.[12]

References

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  1. ↑ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. 2019. Pouteria lucuma. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T145585581A145653903. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T145585581A145653903.en. Accessed 14 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Lucuma bifera Molina". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Janick, Jules; Paull, Robert E. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts. CABI. p. 837. ISBN 9780851996387.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pennington, T. D. (1990). Flora Neotropica Monograph Sapotaceae. New York Botanical Garden. pp. 383–385. ISBN 9780893273446.
  5. 1 2 3 Duarte, Odilo; Paull, Robert (2015). Exotic Fruits and Nuts of the New World. CABI. pp. 117–123. ISBN 9781780645056.
  6. 1 2 "CAPÍTULO I: LA LÚCUMA" (PDF) (in Spanish). University of Piura, Peru. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-25. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Morton JF (1987). "Lucmo". Purdue University, republished from pp. 405–406. In: Fruits of Warm Climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL.
  8. ↑ Lesser-known and under-utilised plant resources Ameenah Gurib-Fakim - 2005 - Page 59
  9. ↑ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  10. ↑ "TABLE 4-7 Comparison of Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in This Report to Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in the 2005 DRI Report". p. 120. In: Stallings, Virginia A.; Harrison, Meghan; Oria, Maria, eds. (2019). "Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. pp. 101–124. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. NCBI NBK545428.
  11. ↑ "Lucuma".
  12. ↑ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
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