A Delimitation of Mammea L.

Linnaeus published the genus Mammea in 1754. He derived the name from Mamei or Mamey, a West Indian vernacular name for Mammea americana L., as recorded by Plumier (1703). The oldest reference in print was probably made by Oviedo (1535). Linnaeus described the genus: ,,Mammea. f Mamei Plum. 4. Cal. Perianthium diphylium: foliolis ovatis, concavis, parvis, deciduis. Cor. Petala quatuor, subrotunda, concava, patentia, majora calyce. Stam. Filamenta plurima, simplicia, subulata. Antherae subrotundae. Pist. Germen subrotundum. Stylus conicus, longitudine staminum. Stigma simplex, persistens. Per. Bacca carnosa, maxima, stylo acuminata, sphaerica, unilocularis. Sem. quatuor (vel unum), callosa, subovata”.