Caimito (Star Apple)

The caimito or star apple is an attractive tree reaching a height of about fifteen meters. It is a native of the American tropics and suited to low and medium altitudes but grows well in the Philippines even where the dry season is pronounced.
The star apple fruit is light-green, smooth and shiny. There are three types of caimito fruits. One type is rounded; the second, is an oblong; and the third, is top-shaped with the larger portion towards the base.
The star apple fruit has a thin skin which covers a whitish, edible pulp. When ripe, this pulp is soft and contains a small amount of milky juice. There are five to six, sometimes nine seeds found in one fruit. The color of the seeds are very dark brown, almost black. The seed has a mild, pleasant taste.

Economic Value of Star Apple Fruit

• The ripe caimito fruit is eaten as a dessert. Its flavour may be enhanced by mixing the white pulp with milk and sugar.
Medicinal Value of Star Apple
• The ripe fruit is a remedy for diabetes.
• The solution formed by boiling the bark of the trunk in water is a remedy for dysentery.
• The fresh latex from the fruits is good for abscesses.
• The dried latex when applied expels intestinal worms.

Caimito bears fruits after five or six years when planted as seedling. Budded plants bear fruits much earlier.
Twig, borer, carpenter moth, grey mealybug , toy beetle and fruit fly, the destructive insect pests which attack the atis tree and fruits, can be controlled by regular spraying of such insecticides as Roger L-20, Daygun, Malathion 57% E.C. and Dimecron 50% E.C.

Avocado

The avocado plant is a tropical tree. It begins bearing fruits at five to six years of age. The full bearing age maybe expected at about eight to ten years. By then it attains a height of five to fifteen meters.
It may be propagated by seed, grafting, budding and in arching. It has been extensively propagated mainly for its edible fruits.
The avocado fruit maybe oblong, nearly spherical, pear-shaped or bottle-shaped and may vary in length from 10 to 36 centimeters long. In color, it may vary from green, brown to purple. It has one large seed in the center.

Economic and Nutritive Values of Avocado
• The ripe avocado fruit is eaten either plain; with salt or salad dressing; with sugar and milk.
• Ripe avocado fruit is used as an ingredient in ice cream.
• The avocado fruit is energy-producing. Its energy-producing value is 1,000 calories per pound, which is double than that of lean meat. Its fat content is as high as 20 percent and its digestibility can equal that of butter fat and surpass that of beef fat.
• Avocado fruit is rich in Vitamin E, which is popular among people who want to remain young.
• Vitamin E together with Vitamin A is contained in avocado oil that can be extracted from the fruit pulp by using a cold mixed solvent extraction process.
Medicinal Value of Avocado
• Avocado leaves are dried and prepared as tea for the relief of headache and diseases of the throat and stomach. It also regulates menstruation.
• Avocado leaves are heated and while still warm are applied directly on the forehead of the patient for the relief of headache.
• Avocado seeds are toasted and ground and prepared for cure of dysentery.
• The powder made from the toasted seeds is prepared as poultice for inflammations.
• A piece of avocado fruit is said to relieve toothache when placed in the cavity of the aching tooth.
• Avocado seed has been found the cure rheumatism. Pulverized avocado seed mixed with coconut oil can be applied externally on the affected part.
• The pulp can be used to hasten the formation of pus in wounds.

Species of avocado grown in the country are Mexican, West Idian and Guatemalan. The Mexican varities grown in the Philippines are Ganther, Rubla, Gottfried and Northrop. Locally-grown West Indian varieties are Pollack, Family, Gardins, Wilson, Waldin, Wester and Baldwin. Among the Guatemalan varieties grown in the country are Dickeson, Lyon, Troth, Taft, Tumin, Sharpless, Blackman, Solane and Taylor.
Avocado grows best in clay loam soils. Plant at the start of the rainy season, during the months of May to August. Set the plants at 9 to 10 meters apart each way. It is advisable to propagate only budded or grafted plants as trees grown from seeds do not run true to type and slow in coming to bearing.
Avocado fruits are harvested from May to September. Fruits are not allowed to ripen in the tree, as ripe fruits readily full to the ground. Fully mature avocado fruits should be harvested and allow to ripen in clean places at room temperature.

Atis (Anona aquamosa)

The atis tree(Sugar Apple Tree) is widely cultivated in many parts of the Philippines. It is one of the fruit trees that is easy to grow, and is recommended for backyard growing because of its relatively small size. It grows about two to seven meters high.
The fruit is about the size and shape of an apple. Its rind is scale-like in appearance, which breaks loose from the pulp when the fruit ripens. The pulp is very soft and aromatic. It has many seeds. Although not very juicy, it is very sweet.

Economic And Nutritive Values of Atis Fruit
• The ripe atis fruit is mainly eaten as a dessert fruit.
• It is a rich source of Vitamin C and also contains Vitamin A.
Medicinal Value of Atis
• The unripe fruit is given for internal use(eaten) as remedy for dysentery and diarrhea.
• The pounded leaves mixed with oil make a good poultice for diseases of the scalp.
• The solution formed by boiling the roots in water is used as purgative.


The atis tree may be propagated by seeds, cutting and grafting. It grows well in a well-drained soil containing plenty of humus. The seeding or young tree should be planted from four to five meters apart.
The fruits should be properly mature before they are harvested so that they would be fleshy and delicious. The fruits are ready for picking when it has become light green and the space between the outer carpels has widened but not cracked. The planting time for atis are during the months of July to December.

Ampalaya (Momordica charantia)

Ampalaya is an annual herbaceous vine, climbing by means of its tendrils which measure about 20 centimeters in length. The leaves are heart-shaped at the base, 2.5 to 10 centimeters, and cut nearly to the base into five or seven variously toothed and divided lobes. The large flowers appear in the axils of the leaves on long stalks. They are yellow with petals about 3.5 to 4 centimeters long.

Some fruits of ampalaya are oblong, cylindrical, pointed at both ends and measure up to at least 25 centimeters in length. Other are rounded or short which measure from 5 to 10 centimeters long. All have wrinkled surfaces with broken ridges. From these fruits the seeds are taken for propagation.


Economic and Nutritive Values of Ampalaya

* The young fruits and leaves of ampalaya are extensively used as vegetable.

* The leaves are excellent sources of iron and calcium and a good source of phosphorus.

* The leaves are also high in carbohydrates and a good source of Vitamin B.

Medicinal Value of Ampalaya

* The leaf juice is used for cough, to kill parasites to heal wounds.

* Juice extracted from the green fruit is effective against colitis(the inflamation of the large intestine)and bacilliary dysentery.

* The whole plant can be prepared to treat diabetes, skin diseases, sterility in women and chronic ulcers of the stomach.

* The plant can be prepared to bring vomiting.

* The powder from roots, fruits and seeds can be used as an ingredient in a aphrodisiac preparation.

* The powdered roots, fruits and seeds can be applied externally to hemorrhoids because they have astringent properties, that is, they posses the quality to shrink tissues and prevent the secretion of fluids from wounds.

The fruits are ready to be harvest 12 to 14 days after the female flowers have fallen. The young leaves may be harvested anytime the vine has developed a luxuriant foliage.

Alugbati (Basella alba L.)

Alugbati is a twining, herbaceous vine which grows to several meters in length. It has luxuriant, succulent, heart-shaped edible leaves growing on green or purplish stems. It bears small flowers and fruits. The flowers are pinkish.


Economic and Nutritive Value of Alugbati

* The young, fleshy and delectable leaves are usually cooked with other vegetables
or with fish and meat.

* The leaves are rich in food value, especially in minerals and vitamins.

Medicinal Value of alugbati

* The roots are prepared as poultice for local inflammations or swellings.

* The leaves are crushed or pounded and place over boils and ulcers.

* The leaves are also prepared as mild laxative for pregnant women.

There are two varieties of alugbati, namely the green variety and the red variety.
Both varieties are propagated either by seeds or cutting. Backyard planting is usually done through cuttings. To prepare cutting from 20 to 25 centimeters long. Remove some leaves to reduce water loss caused by transpiration in the cutting during the process of their growth.

Harvesting usually starts a month after planting. Harvesting is done by cutting the shoots 15 to 30 centimeters long. Weekly or bi-weekly harvesting may follow if there is vigorous and abundant growth of leaves.