Taxon: Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq.

Summary

Genus:

Melicoccus

Family:

Sapindaceae

Subfamily:

Sapindoideae

Nomen number:

70440

Place of publication:

Enum. syst. pl. 19. 1760 (Select. stirp. amer. hist. 108, t. 72. 1763)

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/622936

Verified:

11/06/1985 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

52 (38 active, 2 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Melicoccus bijuga L.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
Howard, R. A. 1973. The Enumeratio and Selectarum of Nicolaus von Jacquin. J. Arnold Arbor. 54:435-470.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Long, R. W. & O. Lakela. 1971. A flora of tropical Florida.
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Martínez-Castillo, J. et al. 2019. Microsatellite markers in Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus, Sapindaceae), a neglected Neotropical fruit crop. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 66:1371-1377. DOI: 10.1007/s10722-019-00815-4.
Pittier, H. F. et al. 1945-1947. Catálogo de la flora venezolana.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	genip	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	honeyberry	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	Spanish-lime	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
French	kenépier	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	quenette	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Honigbeere	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Quenepa	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	mamoncillo	2	Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications.
Swedish	honungsbär	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia			Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
2	Cultivated					widely cult. in tropics	Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
4	Naturalized	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
4	Naturalized	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Gabon			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Hispaniola			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.

Native
Southern America

NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia

Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)
Naturalized
Africa

WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Gabon

Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Hispaniola, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], Virgin Islands (British)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. 2003. Melicocceae (Sapindaceae): Melicoccus and Talisia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 87:45-48.
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
Funk, V. et al. 2007. Checklist of the plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55:1-584.
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Human food	fruit		Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=70440. Accessed 26 June 2026.