Shrubs or small trees, long shoots vegetative, short shoots fertile, arising from leaf axils of long shoots, each paired with a thorn. Stems glabrous. Leaves densely fascicled on short shoots, subcoriaceous, surfaces glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescences: bracts 0 or 2–4 at pedicel bases. Pedicels present. Flowers: sepals minute, not accrescent in fruit; petals glabrous or puberulent abaxially, densely hairy adaxially; ovary elongate-conic or lanceoloid. Drupes yellow, orange, pink, or red, ellipsoid, oblong-ovoid, or globose. x = 12.

Distribution

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia, subtropical and tropical regions.

Discussion

Species 10 (1 in the flora).

Fruits of Ximenia americana and X. afra Sonder are eaten either raw or cooked. In India, oil from the seeds of X. americana is used as a ghee substitute and the wood is used in place of sandalwood (see R. A. DeFilipps 1968 for other economic applications). Anticancer compounds known as ribosome-inactivating proteins have been found in X. americana (C. Voss et al. 2006). Long chain acetylenic acids in that species showed potential pesticidal activity (M. O. Fatope et al. 2000).

Selected References

DeFilipps, R. A. 1968. A Revision of Ximenia [Plum.] L. (Olacaceae). Ph.D. dissertation. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Lower Taxa

Ximenia americana