From the archive record
Sapota, popularly known in India as chiku, is native to tropical America Most probably to south Mexico or Central America. This plant is also grown for its Latex. Chicle and gutta parcha are extracted from its latex. These are used as a base material in chewing gum and in some other industrial products. Manilkara zapota, commonly known as the sapodilla, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species. It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in large quantities in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Mexico. Sapodilla can grow to more than 30 m (98 ft) tal