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Sapodilla family
Sapotaceae Juss.
アカテツ科
A family of woody plants distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, comprising about 1,100 species. Characterized by containing latex; some species produce chicle (raw material for chewing gum) and gutta-percha. In Japan, Planchonella and related species are native to Okinawa and Ogasawara.
Key Characteristics
- ●Exudes milky white latex when cut
- ●Leaves are simple, alternate, coriaceous, and glossy
- ●Flowers are small with sympetalous corolla; sepals, petals, and stamens are equal in number
- ●Fruit is a berry, often large and sweet
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite / Whorled
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Latex
Present
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic / Zygomorphic
Petal count
6 petals / Many
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
3-4 / 5 / 6 / 7-10
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Ericales > Sapotaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 60 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Establishment of latex production mechanism
- ・Adaptation to dispersal by large mammals and birds through large, sweet fruits
Plants in Sapodilla family on this site
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