{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = Patos 074.jpg | image_caption = | taxon = Crateva tapia | authority = L. | synonyms = {{Species list|hidden=yes |Capparis radiatiflora|(DC.) Ruiz & Pav., no type indicated. |Capparis trifoliata|Spreng. ex DC. |Colicodendron obliquifolium|Turcz. |Crateva acuminata|DC. |Crateva arborea|Schrad. |Crateva bahiana|Ule |Crateva benthamii|Eichler |Crateva coriacea|Herzog |Crateva glauca|Lundell |Crateva gynandra|L. |Crateva radiatiflora|DC. |Crateva tapia var. glauca|(Lundell) Standl. & Steyerm. |Crateva tapioides|DC. |Nevosmila arborea|(Schrad.) Raf. |Cleome arborea|Schrad. }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO_316363-2>{{Cite POWO|title=''Crateva tapia'' L..|id=316363-2|access-date=2024-04-08|mode=cs1}}</ref> }} '''''Crateva tapia''''', commonly known as ''toco'',<ref>{{cite book|author=Colmeiro, Miguel|title=Diccionario de los diversos nombres vulgares de muchas plantas usuales ó notables del antiguo y nuevo mundo|location=Madrid|year=1871}}</ref> ''payaguá'', ''naranjuelo'', or ''beach apple'', is a member of the genus ''Crateva'', belonging to the family Capparaceae. It is native from Mexico through Central America into South America as far as south Brazil.<ref name=POWO_316363-2/> thumb|Detail of the fruit
== Description == They are trees or shrubs, reaching a size of 2–25 m in height, with a crown up to 20 m in diameter, bark opaque, light brown to grey, completely glabrous. Leaflets broad to narrowly elliptical to broadly ovate or obovate-elliptical, the lateral ones more or less obliquely asymmetrical, (3–) 8–13 (–18) cm long and 2–9 cm wide, apex long acuminate to rounded and abruptly acute, base cuneate to obtuse (or almost rounded) and gradual to abruptly attenuated towards the petiolules, glaucous or minutely papillose on the underside; petiolules very distinct, (4–) 6–10 mm long, petioles 5–15 cm long. Terminal inflorescences on the new leafy branches, flowers numbering 30–120, but only 10–20 bloom at the same time, raceme axes 6–16 cm long and 5–10 mm wide, bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 9 mm long, rapidly deciduous, pedicels 20–32 mm long; sepals lanceolate to oblong or ovate, acute, free part of the limb ca 5–9 mm long and 2–3 mm wide; petals 10–45 mm long and 3–7 mm wide, the blade 8–30 (–35) mm long and 3–7 (–13) mm wide, white to greenish white and when wilting cream, pink or pale purple, claw 5–11 mm long; stamens 14–20, filaments ca 35–46 mm long, tiny in pistillate flowers; gynophore 29–54 mm long or only up to 1–5 mm in staminate flowers. Infructescence of the leafy branches 6–18 cm long and 5–10 mm wide, the pedicel scars well spaced.
The fruit is a globular to oblong or ovoid berry, 4–9 cm long and 3.5–6.5 cm wide, turning yellow to orange or pink, pericarp 4–6 mm when immature and 1–2 mm when mature, filled with a fleshy pulp, gynophores 30–50 (–70) mm long and 3–4 mm wide, pedicels 20–60 mm long; seeds numerous, dark colored, 8–9 mm long, 6–7 mm wide and 3–4 mm thick. The pulp of sandy consistency is edible, with a sweet-sour taste.<ref>{{cite web |title= ''Crateva tapia'' |url=https://sura.ots.ac.cr/local/florula4/fl/find_sp.php?key_species_code=LS002394&key_family=Capparaceae&key_genus=Crateva&specie_name=tapia# |website= LA SELVA - digital florula |language=es |accessdate= March 20, 2020}}</ref>
== Taxonomy == ''Crataeva tapia'' was described by Carl Linnaeus and published in ''Species Plantarum'' 1: 444. 1753.<ref name = Trop>{{cite web |url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/5900725 |title= ''Crateva tapia''|accessdate=October 17, 2013 |format= |work= Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden}}</ref>
== Distribution and habitat == ''Crataeva tapia'' is widely distributed from Mexico to south Brazil.<ref name=POWO_316363-2/> It is a common species in dry forests and disturbed sandy soil areas, at all zones; at an altitude of 0–500 (–1000) m; fl (Dec–) Feb–Jun, fr Feb–Sep (Dec); a highly variable species . When growing in dry environments, it is very similar to ''C. palmeri'' with which it is apparently sympatric and possibly hybrid, but it is differentiated by the leaves or inflorescence axes being glabrous, the flowers white, and the leaflets pediculate.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
== References == {{reflist}}
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Category:Capparaceae Category:Flora of Mexico Category:Flora of Southern America Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus