{{Short description|Genus of trees}} {{Other uses|Platonia (disambiguation)}} {{Redirect|Pacuri|the village of Păcuri in Prahova County, Romania|Surani, Prahova}} {{Speciesbox |image = Bacuri Platonia insignis 3.JPG |display_parents = 2 |genus = Platonia |parent_authority = Mart. |species = insignis |authority = Mart. |subdivision_ranks = Varieties |subdivision = *''Platonia insignis'' var. ''formosa'' {{small|R.E.Schult.}} *''Platonia insignis'' var. ''insignis'' |subdivision_ref = <ref name = powo>{{cite web |title=''Platonia insignis'' Mart. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:326389-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=3 April 2026}}</ref> |synonyms = synonyms of ''Platonia'': *''Aristoclesia'' {{small|Coville}} synonyms of var. ''insignis'': *''Aristoclesia esculenta'' {{small|(Arruda) Stuntz}} *''Moronobea esculenta'' {{small|Arruda}} *''Platonia esculenta'' {{small|(Arruda) Oken}} *''Platonia grandiflora'' {{small|Planch. & Triana}} *''Symphonia grandiflora'' {{small|Spreng.}} *''Symphonia moronobea'' {{small|Raeusch.}} |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=''Platonia insignis'' var. ''insignis'' |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77224465-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=3 April 2026}}</ref> }} thumb|''P. insignis'' wood

'''''Platonia insignis''''' is a species of tree of the family Clusiaceae, and the sole species of genus '''''Platonia'''''. It is native the Amazon rainforest in tropical South America, ranging through northern and northeastern Brazil, southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and the Guianas.<ref name = powo/> Common names include '''bacuri''' (and numerous variant spellings thereof; bacurí, bacury, bakuri, pacuri, pakuri, pakouri, packoeri, pakoeri), '''maniballi''', '''naranjillo''' and '''bacurizeiro'''.

There was a degree of nomenclatural confusion, caused by ''Moronobea esculenta''. If that were validly published for this species the current name would be ''Platonia esculenta''. It was established that ''Moronobea esculenta'' is not a formal name (not "validly published"), so the name remains ''Platonia insignis''.{{sfn|van Rijckevorsel|2002}}{{sfn|Kirkbride|2007}}

''Platonia'' is related to ''Montrouziera''<ref>Ruhfel, B. R., V. Bittrich, C. P. Bove, M. H. G. Gustafsson, C. T. Philbrick, R. Rutishauser, Z. Xi, and C. C. Davis (2011). Phylogeny of the Clusioid Clade (Malpighiales): Evidence from the Plastid and Mitochondrial Genomes. American Journal of Botany 98: 306–25.</ref> from New Caledonia.

==Description== ''Platonia insignis'' is a dry-season deciduous tree, reaching 25–40 m high. It has a pyramidal crown and copious yellow latex in the bark. The leaves are opposite, simple oblong to elliptic, 8–15&nbsp;cm long, and glossy dark green, with wavy margins and a leathery texture.

The flowers are 5–7&nbsp;cm long and pink in color, with five petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is round to oval and 7–14&nbsp;cm long, with a thick, yellow skin. It resembles a papaya. The rind exudes a yellow latex when pressed.<ref>Rogez, H., et al. (2004). [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00217-003-0853-6 Chemical composition of the pulp of three typical Amazonian fruits: araça-boi] (''Eugenia stipitata''), bacuri (''Platonia insignis'') and cupuaçu (''Theobroma grandiflorum''). ''European Food Research and Technology'' 214(4) {{doi|10.1007/s00217-003-0853-6}}</ref> The sticky white pulp is fragrant, with a taste that is both sweet and sour. There are 3 to 5 seeds.

The white-bellied parrot (''Pionites leucogaster'') is a pollinator of the plant, making it ornithophilous.<ref>[http://home.rochester.rr.com/thecaiques/glossary.htm Cornell University Caique Glossary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027071142/http://home.rochester.rr.com/thecaiques/glossary.htm |date=2007-10-27 }}</ref>

==Cultivation and uses== thumb|right|Bacuri plantation The bacuri is grown for its fruit, which is made into various condiments and beverages. It contains high levels of phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C. The oily brown seeds are used as a home remedy to treat skin conditions. Its yellowish wood is frequently used as timber.

==Oil and butter== thumb|Bacuri butter The grease of the bacuri oil has a high absorption rate, due to its high level of tripalmitin (50% to 55%), which penetrates the skin quickly. The high amount of fatty palmitoleic acid (5%), compared to other oils (less than or equal to 0.5 to 1.5%), makes the bacuri oil useful as an emollient and moisturizing agent.<ref>Morais, L. R. Banco de Dados Sobre Espécies Oleaginosas da Amazônia, não-publicado</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2016}}

'''Physico-chemical data'''

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Index !! Unit !! Reference value |- | Iodine Index || gl2/100g || 57 |- | saponification index || mgKOH/g || 211 |- | acidity || mgKOH/g || 10,71 |- | Index peroxide || meq/Kg || 5 |- | Fusion point || °C || 35 |}<ref>MORAIS, L. R. B.: Produção de óleo de duas espécies amazônicas por prensagem: Bacuri Platonia insignis (Mart.) e Pracachy Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd), 2005, Monografia em Curso de Mestrado Em Química Orgânica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Centro de Ciências Exatas e Naturais 76pp. Não publicada.</ref>

==Chemistry== ''Platonia'' is a natural source of trioxygenated xanthones.<ref>Peres, V. and T. J. Nagem. (1997). [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6TH7-3S95K2R-3-4&_cdi=5275&_user=4296857&_pii=S0031942296004219&_orig=search&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F1997&_sk=999559997&view=c&wchp=dGLbVtz-zSkzk&md5=5109cf4955e03777ca32725f0bb0a303&ie=/sdarticle.pdf Trioxygenated naturally occurring xanthones.] ''Phytochemistry'' 44(2) 191-214. {{doi|10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00421-9}}</ref> The latex contains resinotol.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/ibc/pdf/coppens/Fruits%20from%20America/Ficha%20Platonia%20insignis.htm |title=''Platonia insignis'' |access-date=2010-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718164559/http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/ibc/pdf/coppens/Fruits%20from%20America/Ficha%20Platonia%20insignis.htm |archive-date=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=Clement|first=Charles|title=The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts|year=2006|publisher=CABI|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=9780851996387|pages=269–272|editor=Jules Janick, Robert Paull|chapter=Platonia esculenta bacuri}} * {{cite journal |first=Paul |last=van Rijckevorsel |title=(1564) Proposal to Conserve the Name ''Platonia insignis'' against ''Moronobea esculenta'' (Guttiferae) |journal=Taxon |volume=51 |issue=4 |date=November 2002 |pages=813–815 |doi=10.2307/1555050|jstor=1555050|bibcode=2002Taxon..51..813V |doi-access=free }} * {{cite journal|last1=Kirkbride|first1=Joseph H.|title=A 19th Century Brazilian botanical dictionary|journal=Taxon|date=August 2007|volume=56|issue=3|pages=927–937|url=http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/7107/PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905005633/http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/7107/PDF|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2012|access-date=11 May 2015|doi=10.2307/25065874|jstor=25065874|url-access=subscription}} {{Refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Platonia insignis}} *[http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/ven-guayana/clusiaceae/page13.shtml Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana: ''Platonia'']

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q2654886|from2=Q15371504}}

Category:Clusiaceae Category:Clusiaceae genera Category:Monotypic Malpighiales genera Category:Flora of northern South America Category:Flora of North Brazil Category:Flora of Northeast Brazil Category:Trees of the Amazon rainforest Category:Trees of Brazil Category:Trees of Colombia Category:Trees of Guyana Category:Trees of Paraguay Category:Trees of Suriname Category:Tropical fruit Category:Crops originating from South America Category:Plants described in 1832 Category:Taxa named by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius