UMBUZEIRO (SPONDIAS TUBEROSA): A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Spondias tuberosa Arruda, a fructiferous endemic tree of semiarid Northeastof Brazil, provides several services to its ecosystem as well as to humans. Itprovides feed for wild animals and domestic ruminants in addition to providingfruits that are rich in vitamins for the human diet. It is an important source ofadditional income for family farmers and a source for traditional therapeuticmedicine. Despite the importance of this tree in northeastern Brazil, limitedscientific effort have been accomplished so far towards a better understandingof the tree’s physiology and interaction within the ecosystem. Earlier studiesabout S. tuberosa focused on phenology, physiology, population genetics,management practices, and socioeconomic aspects. Due to the lack ofbreeding and cloning programs, physiological studies and management trialswere based on heterogenic plant material, which led to ambiguous results.In order to move forward with S. tuberosa research, especially for its geneticconservations and agro-industrial exploitation, basic breeding and intensifiedgenetic research are urgently required. Despite the few publications on S.tuberosa, the tree can be considered scientifically neglected, particularly ifcompared with other members of the Anacardiaceae family.