Pictures of the tree are attached. Can you help me identify a fruit tree that was delivered incorrectly together with a lot of lemon and orange trees at Marakech in Morocco (see attached photos). The owner says:”Mon arbre inconnu ne perd pass ses feuilles en automne. Les fruits apparraissent en juillet et murissent en septembre. J’ai déjà gouté aux fruits à deux reprises (deux saisons), le goût est un peu acide (comme une nèfle), la peau est fine ne se détachant pas du fruit (comme un abricot) et le fruit est plein de grains à l’interieur génant lors de sa consommation ».
I myself saw the (young) fruit tree (about 2 meters high) at the beginning of March ’10: it had green leaves reminiscent of the leaves of a citrus tree. I didn’t see any flowers.
The fruits in the photos, on the other hand, remind me more of a medlar variety because the skin of the (ripe) fruit is smooth and remnants of the calyx are visible. My friend’s description of tasting them also reminds me of a medlar variety. Do you know the name, and are the fruits edible?
Answer
Dear Marleen,
Answered by
drs. Marc Reynders
Biology, systematics and evolution of seed plants. Specialized in tropical Cyperaceae.
http://www.ugent.be
.