Origin and occurrence
The tree is native to Central America and the south of Mexico, but is now cultivated not only in the tropics and subtropics of America, but also in tropical regions of the Old World.

Ethnobotanical and general use

Nutritional use
The fruits which mature within 4 months have a soft flesh and a pleasant taste. They have to be gathered when completely ripe, because unripe fruits are very astringent due their high content of tannin. The fruits are eaten fresh or prepared into a drink, as a milk shake or made into ice-cream. Jam and vinegar are also obtained from the fruits. Chewing gum and chicle gum are prepared from the latex of the trunk, which contains 20-40 o/o gum. The bark can be tapped every 2-3 years.

Economical utilization
The wood is hard and is used locally. The tree is also used as an ornamental.

Medical use
Bark. The bark is very astringent and is applied for catarrhal conditions. Fruit. A cataplasm is prepared from the fruits to treat inflammations of the liver. Seed. The seeds are diuretic. They are said to dissolve calculi of the gall bladder and uroliths.

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Origin:
Native to Central America. Cultivated chiefly in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Action:
Fruit—antibilious.
Seed— diuretic.
Fruit and bark—febrifuge.
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Toxic plant
Ingestion of more than 10 seeds can be toxic
Origin:
Mexico

1) South American medicinal plants : botany, remedial properties, and general use / I. Roth, H. Lindorf. Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2002. -- p. 492.

2) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p. 836.

3) Armando González Stuart/ Plants Used in Mexican Plants Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine Traditional Medicine: Their Application and Effects In Traditional Healing Practices. - p. 54.