Rollinia deliciosa, Rollinia mucosa

Large yellow fruit with a bumpy surface and soft spines. Tastes delicious, and is described as a creamy lemon sherbet or a lemon meringue pie. The tree performs best in warm subtropical to tropical conditions. Best growth on well drained sandy loam. Large spreading tree. Spacing at 8 meters usually necessary. Trees grow true to type from seed, although consistently high yielding varieties are available. Fruit are picked by cutting the stem as soon as the yellow color develops. Fruit will continue to ripen off the tree but the shelf life is only a few days. Trees can bear in 3 -4 years. Cooling the fruit after harvest will extend the shelf life by up to a week, but with significant loss of attractiveness, the skin going black, while the flesh inside remains palatable. Fruit are very soft and vulnerable to bruising. Their own weight often damaging the flesh when left resting on a hard surface. (Information from book by Julia Morton).

Similar plants:

• Annona maritima, Rollinia maritima (Aratikum, Quaresma)