Edible portion : Fruit
A small deciduous tree. It grows to 7-8 m tall. It has 2 kinds of leaf. One is the broadly oval smooth leaf with a leaf stalk. The others are like round bracts without a leaf stalk and these fall off. These grow at the base of the small branches. Under the leaves, fruit and branches has a powdery appearance. The flowers are maroon coloured and 2-3 cm across. There are 3 outer petals. These are 2-5 cm long. There are 3 small inner petals. The fruit are large and pink or white. They are 12 cm long. They have a thin skin. Fruit vary in colour and texture. A tropical plant. It suits the tropical lowlands. It grows between sea level and 1800 m altitude in Central America. It does best on fertile volcanic soils. A rainfall of 1,000-1,400 is suitable. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.