Description

Nomenclature

Because of the long history of utilization of the chicozapote by many different cultures, its large amount of morphological variation and its widespread distribution, there have been many local names applied to this tree. Morton (1987) lists the following names, with their place of origin: aramasi (Bengal and Bihar, India), buah chiku (Malaysia), chicle (Mexico), chico (Philippines, Guatemala, Mexico), chicozapote (Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela,), chikoo (India), dilly (Bahamas, British West Indies), korob (Costa Rica), mespil (Virgin Islands), mispel, mispu (Netherlands Antilles), muy (Guatemala), muyozapot (El Salvador), naseberry (Jamaica, British West Indies), neeseberry (British West Indies), nispero (Puerto Rico, Central America, Venezuela), sapodilla plum (India), sapota (India), sapoti (Brazil), sapotille (French West Indies), tree potato (India), ya (Guatemala, Yucatan), zapota (Venezuela). Pennington (1990) lists several of these, and adds the following: Canistel (Cuba), chicle (Guatemala), chicle zapote (Belize), chico, (Central America), red sapodilla (Belize), sapodilla (Belize, Hispaniola, Dominica), sapotillier (Guadeloupe), zapote, zapote blanco (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize), zapote colorado (Mexico: Campeche), zapote morado (Belize). This proliferation of local names used to distinguish local varieties in the field has led to confusion among people interested in the identification of this species in the field. This confusion is also found in the taxonomy of the species.