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fRuit with cuRRent and potencial impoRtance in chiapas

Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, and is grown in many other tropical and subtropical parts
of the world. Production has varied over the past, but the countries named have remained

important over a number of years. Fruit and pulp of the purple passion fruit is rich in carotene

(vitamin A precursor), a good source of potassium and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and also con-

tains calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, riboflavin and niacin (Morton 1987).

Passion fruit is used industrially to prepare refrescos and nectars, flavorings for ice cream,

jellies and other confections as well as alcoholic cordials. Expanding demand in metropolitan

markets suggests that industrial production of preserved juice of P. edulis can be expected to

grow in the foreseeable future. Some cultivars have been named and grown commercially in

some countries, but the bulk of world production of P. Edulis is from vines that are grown from
seed. Selected clones can readily be grown from cuttings, and can be grafted on rootstocks

which are sometimes used because of their resistance to soil-borne pathogens.

The granadilla, P. ligularis, is popular in the gardens and markets of those parts of tropical

America with lands ranging from 900-2 700 m of altitude, but has not assumed commercial im-

portance in markets outside its natural range. The giant granadilla or granadilla real (P. quadran-

gularis L.) is common in many tropical countries and is sometimes used for preparing refrescos

and other confections, but it is not grown commercially or for export to any significant degree.

Carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.)

Botany: The carambola belongs to the family Oxalidaceae, to which a number of Oxalis spe-

cies cultivated as ornamentals and two species grown for their fruits, Averrhoa bilimbi, the

bilimbing, and A. carambola, the carambola, belong. The carambola originated in Southeast
Asia but has long been cultivated and its site of origin is not known. The carambola is self-

incompatible, normally needing to be cross-pollinated by a tree of complementary floral type

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas