{{Short description|Genus of fruit trees}} {{Automatic taxobox | taxon = Spondias | authority = L. | display_parents = 2 | image = Starr 071024-0339 Spondias mombin.jpg | image_caption = Fruiting ''Spondias mombin'' | type_species = ''Spondias mombin'' | type_species_authority = L.<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1922-1 |title=''Spondias'' L. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2026 |access-date=16 March 2026}}</ref> | synonyms = * ''Chrysomelon'' {{small|G.Forst. ex A.Gray, pro syn.}} * ''Cytheraea'' {{small|Wight & Arn., nom. provis.}} * ''Evia'' {{small|Comm. ex Blume}} * ''Monbin'' {{small|Mill.}} * ''Warmingia'' {{small|Engl., nom. rej.}} * ''Wirtgenia'' {{small|Jungh. ex Hassk., not validly publ.}} |synonyms_ref = {{R|POWO}} | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = ''See text'' }}

'''''Spondias''''' is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. The genus consists of 18 described species, eleven of which are native to the tropical Americas, six to Asia and one to Madagascar. They are commonly named '''hog plums''', '''Spanish plums''', '''Ciruelas''' in Cuba, '''libas''' in Bikol and in some cases '''golden apples''' for their brightly colored fruit which resemble an apple or small plum at a casual glance. They are only distantly related to apple and plum trees, however. A more unequivocal common name is '''mombins'''.

==Description== Members of this genus are deciduous trees with resinous exudates which can cause contact dermatitis in humans. The leaves are imparipinnate (bipinnate in ''Spondias bipinnata''), and are arranged alternately on the branches. Leaflets have an intramarginal vein, i.e. a vein running close and parallel to the leaf margin.{{R|KUBITZKI|MITCHELL}}

The inflorescences are produced at the ends of the branches or in the {{Botanygloss|axill|leaf axils}}, and take the form of a panicle or raceme. Most species are hermaphroditic (having flowers with male and female organs, i.e. bisexual flowers) or polygamodioecious (having a combination of bisexual flowers plus either male flowers or female flowers), while the species ''S.&nbsp;pupurea'' is dioecious (having male and female flowers on separate plants).{{R|KUBITZKI|MITCHELL}}

The fruit are fleshy drupes which may be globular, elliptic or oblong; yellow, orange, red, purple or green; with a hard endocarp surrounded by a fibrous layer.{{R|KUBITZKI|MITCHELL}}

==Names== thumb|''Spondias dulcis'', fruit, section and seed A theory regarding the name of the city of Bangkok, Thailand is that the name is derived from {{langx|th|-มะกอกน้ำ}}; {{rtgs|''makok nam''}} 'water olive', the Thai name for the fruit of ''Spondias dulcis''.<ref>[http://www.watarun.org/historyx.html "ชั้นและตำบลที่ตั้งวัด"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623032334/http://www.watarun.org/historyx.html |date=2011-06-23 }}, ''watarun.org'', accessed March 29, 2011.</ref> In Cambodia, ''Spondias pinnata'' is called /pɷːn siː pʰlaɛ/ (ពោនស៊ីផ្លែ) or /məkaʔ prẹj/ (ម្កាក់ព្រៃ),<ref>LETI, Mathieu, HUL Sovanmoly, Jean-Gabriel FOUCHÉ, CHENG Sun Kaing, Bruno DAVID, ''Flore photographique du Cambodge'', Paris: Privat, 2013, p. 63.</ref> and ''Spondias dulcis'' simply /məkaʔ/ (ម្កាក់). ''Spondias pinnata'' is called ''Pulicha kaai'' in the Tamil language, which means "sour fruit." It is also called "Amate Kaai" in the Kannada language, ''Ambade'' in Tulu and Konkani. In Sri Lanka it is called ''Amberella''. In Bangladesh it is known as ''Aamra'' (আমড়া) and when served with seasonings it is a very popular street food.

==As food== thumb|Preserved ma-kok, sweet and sour with chili About 10 species of ''Spondias'' bear edible fruits and have been domesticated for fruit production. These fruits are also consumed by herbivorous mammals such as deer.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

In the Western Ghats of Karnataka flower buds and tender fruits are used in pickle preparation. In Thai cuisine both the fruits and the tender leaves are eaten. In Odisha its called ambada, the fruit is used as a souring agent in curries.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

==Species== {{As of|2024|January}}, ''Plants of the World online'' accepts 18 species:{{R|POWO}} {{div col|colwidth=24em}} * ''Spondias admirabilis'' {{Au|J.D.Mitch. & Daly}} – Brazil * ''Spondias bahiensis'' {{Au|P.Carvalho, Van den Berg & M.Machado}} – Brazil * ''Spondias bipinnata'' {{Au|Airy Shaw & Forman}} – Thailand * ''Spondias dulcis'' {{Au|Parkinson}} – Maluku to Solomon Islands * ''Spondias expeditionaria'' {{Au|J.D.Mitch. & Daly}} – Brazil * ''Spondias globosa'' {{Au|J.D.Mitch. & Daly}} – Brazil North, Bolivia * ''Spondias macrocarpa'' {{Au|Engl.}} – Brazil * ''Spondias malayana'' {{Au|Kosterm.}} – Indo-China to New Guinea * ''Spondias mombin'' {{Au|L.}} – Mexico to Tropical America * ''Spondias novoguineensis'' {{Au|Kosterm.}} – Maluku to Vanuatu * ''Spondias pinnata'' {{Au|(L.f.) Kurz}} – Indian Subcontinent to China and Lesser Sunda Islands * ''Spondias purpurea'' {{Au|L.}} – Mexico to northern Colombia * ''Spondias radlkoferi'' {{Au|Donn.Sm.}} – Mexico to Venezuela * ''Spondias tefyi'' {{Au|J.D.Mitch., Daly & Randrian.}} – Madagascar * ''Spondias testudinis'' {{Au|J.D.Mitch. & Daly}} – Bolivia, Brazil North, Peru * ''Spondias tuberosa'' {{Au|Arruda}} – Brazil * ''Spondias venulosa'' {{Au|(Mart. ex Engl.) Engl.}} – Brazil * ''Spondias xerophila'' {{Au|Kosterm.}} – Sri Lanka {{div col end}}

Selected synonyms include: * ''Spondias cytherea'' {{Au|Sonn.}} — synonym of ''Spondias dulcis'' * ''Spondias haplophylla'' {{Au|Airy Shaw & Forman}} — synonym of ''Bouea oppositifolia'' {{Au|(Roxb.) Meisn.}} * ''Spondias indica'' {{Au|(Wight & Arn.) Airy Shaw & Forman}} — synonym of ''Solenocarpus indicus'' {{Au|Wight & Arn.}} * ''Spondias lakonensis'' {{Au|Pierre}} — synonym of ''Allospondias lakonensis'' {{Au|(Pierre) Stapf}}

==References== {{Wikispecies}} {{Commonscat}} {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="KUBITZKI">{{Cite book |editor-last=Kubitzki |editor-first=Klaus |title=Flowering Plants, Sapindales, Cucurbitales, Myrtaceae |series=The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants |volume=10 |chapter=Anacardiaceae |last1=Pell |first1=S.K. |last2=Mitchell |first2=J.D. |last3=Miller |first3=A.J. |last4=Lobova |first4=T.A. |page=44 |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |year=2011 |isbn=978-3-642-14396-0 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-14397-7}}</ref> <ref name="MITCHELL">{{cite journal |last1=Mitchell |first1=John D. |last2=Daly |first2=Douglas C. |title=A revision of ''Spondias'' L. (Anacardiaceae) in the Neotropics |journal=PhytoKeys |date=2015 |issue=55 |pages=1–92 |doi=10.3897/phytokeys.55.8489 |doi-access=free |pmid=26312044 |pmc=4547026 }}</ref> }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q311460}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Spondias Category:Anacardiaceae genera Category:Fruit trees Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus