Melicoccus oliviformus VS melicoccus bujugata. (Spanish lime... mamoncillo)

[Kona fruit farm]

Calling in the experts here.    When I research these trees they both seem to be loosely called the same thing.  Spanish lime, quenip. Mamoncillo. etc etc.   

I bought seeds a few years ago from
Someone on the forum and I believe they were melicoccus oliviformus.   I remember the description saying something about them being different than than normal Spanish lime.  Superior in some way but I don’t recall why or how.   Does anyone grow this tree?   I have 4-5 big healthy trees in pots and I’m wondering how many I need to plant in order to get a good fruit set and how big they get?

Also wondering the difference between these two trees!  Help.

[Mike T]

I grew 6 of them and planted 3 in my yard but a calamity claimed the life of one and the remaining two are around 5m high. Both had a light flowering this year in late spring early summer but all flowers seemed to be female. A friend I gave one to who grows it in a pot has his specimen flower heavily but alas all flowers appeared to be female. A farming friend was also a recipient of one of my 'spares'. His tree also flowered heavily at the same time but once again the flowers were female. I am hoping the trees experienced some adolescent dysphoria while starting their flowering careers and will blossom into bisex trees.
My Russell Sweet female did a gender bending thing when it switched from female to bisex and then became male so I have 2 males now.

[Mike T]

Oh yeah the species are quite different and the pics provided by the supplier align with M.oliviformis.

[Finca La Isla]

I’m pretty sure it was Raul who introduced this species to the forum.
He claimed, and it is believed in Mexico, that a single tree will produce.
I got my material in Veracruz and it is coming along.  It really needs to flower very soon this year as the production time is June, at least in Veracruz.
Peter

[Kona fruit farm]

so it sounds like the oliviformus is perhaps superior to bujugata?  (which sounds like the more common variety grown and called spanish lime)   

That above picture with the Lychee looks incredible..  that flesh is deep orange and those fruits are big!  hoping that's what we can expect out of these, i'm planning on planting two trees so i sure hope they are bisex and not a couple of males.   that would be pretty rough

[wonderfruit]

I m growing Melicoccus lepidopetalus. It is a tree that grows in Paraguay. Locally known as coquito de San Juan. At this time 2 mts high. And I never had the chance to try the fruit.

[wonderfruit]

I think I offer the seeds in the forum 4 or 5 years ago. Leaves are elongated

[noochka1]

Does anyone know if these species will cross-pollinate?  I have a self fertile M. bujugata and I'd love to add M. oliviformus as well, but I don't have space for a pollinator.

[canito 17]

Here in PR quenepas are very common. A big producer
Martex fárms export tons of it to the continental east coast. Few people still have the original
famous cultivars . One of the best is Doña Sasa a better version of Sasa  (Fairchild collection ).Another one is Anderson  (agronomyst name, but boricua ).I have them in my PRIVATE COLLECTION.

[Mike T]

I think it is unlikely they can x-pollinate. Talisia are really Melicoccus or darn close to them. I believed there is also an isolated pocket of this species in central south America. I just dont see spanish limes in my part of the world and was wondering if seed propagated trees were ever bisex.

[Finca La Isla]

Seed propagated are pretty much always diocious. Even when buying grafted mamoncillo you really need to ascertain that they are self fertile.  There are grafted females selected for fruit quality that still need a male tree.
They are very common in seasonally dry parts of CR and Nicaragua. Much less so in wetter areas like where I am.
Peter

[Raulglezruiz]

Calling in the experts here.    When I research these trees they both seem to be loosely called the same thing.  Spanish lime, quenip. Mamoncillo. etc etc.   

I bought seeds a few years ago from
Someone on the forum and I believe they were melicoccus oliviformus.   I remember the description saying something about them being different than than normal Spanish lime.  Superior in some way but I don’t recall why or how.   Does anyone grow this tree?   I have 4-5 big healthy trees in pots and I’m wondering how many I need to plant in order to get a good fruit set and how big they get?

Also wondering the difference between these two trees!  Help.

Hi if the fruits you are talking about are the ones in Mike picture next to the Lichee then you bought from me, this are not Spanish lime, Quenepas or Mamoncillo (Meliccocus Bijugatus) here in Mexico they are call Guayas and they should be either Talisia or Meliccocus Oliviformis (however they are round and not oval like an olive) they are very similar to quenepas however there are difference first skin quenepas are bright while Guayas are opaque kind of velvety, the flesh of Guayas is very sweet with melon and Tangerine notes,with no astringency, which I have detected in all quenepas I have tried, if all the trees are Hermaphrodite I don't know but all I have seen they are and they are several, the tree and the leaves are totally different also with Quenepas very similar to Ingas the way they have an union between the leaves, Guayas dont show that caracteristics

[Kona fruit farm]

Raul this information is super helpful. thank you!  i was actually going to plant the trees tomorrow in my orchard.  My intention was to plant 2 trees at 25' spacing (8 meters) 

Is it your opinion that each tree is self fertile? if so then i am hoping i'll be fine with 2 trees planted.  if not i can plant 3... 

How big do these trees get?

[Mike T]

Yes it was Raul, and he seems to be a prince of Mexican fruit crusaders with new and exciting offerings no one else seems to access, quite regularly.