Sapotaceae

File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) W IMG 0242.jpg

Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia in Narsapur, Medak district, India

The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in around 65 genera (35–75, depending on generic definition). Their distribution is pantropical.

Many species produce edible fruits, or white blood-sap that is used to cleanse dirt, organically and manually, while others have other economic uses. Species noted for their edible fruits include Manilkara (sapodilla), Chrysophyllum cainito (star-apple or golden leaf tree), Gambeya africana and Gambeya albida (star-apple), and Pouteria (abiu, canistel, lúcuma, mamey sapote). Vitellaria paradoxa (shi in several languages of West Africa and karité in French; also anglicized as shea) is also the source of an oil-rich nut, the source of edible shea butter, which is the major lipid source for many African ethnic groups and is also used in traditional and Western cosmetics and medications. The "miracle fruit" Synsepalum dulcificum is also placed in the Sapotaceae.

Trees of the genus Palaquium (gutta-percha) produce an important latex with a wide variety of uses. The seeds of the tree Sideroxylon spinosum produce an edible oil, traditionally harvested in Morocco.

The family name is derived from zapote, a Mexican vernacular name for one of the plants (in turn derived from the Nahuatl tzapotl) and Latinised by Linnaeus as sapota, a name now treated as a synonym of Manilkara (also formerly known by the invalid name Achras).

Genera

74 genera are currently accepted:<ref name = powo>Sapotaceae Juss. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 7 April 2025.</ref> Template:Div col

• Abebaia Template:Small
• Achrouteria Template:Small
• Amorphospermum Template:Small
• Aningeria Template:Small
• Aubregrinia Template:Small
• Aulandra Template:Small
• Autranella Template:Small
• Baillonella Template:Small
• Bemangidia Template:Small
• Breviea Template:Small
• Burckella Template:Small
• Capurodendron Template:Small
• Chloroluma Template:Small
• Chromolucuma Template:Small
• Chrysophyllum Template:Small
• Cornuella Template:Small
• Delpydora Template:Small
• Diploknema Template:Small
• Diploon Template:Small
• Donella Template:Small
• Eberhardtia Template:Small
• Ecclinusa Template:Small
• Elaeoluma Template:Small
• Englerella Template:Small
• Englerophytum Template:Small
• Gambeya Template:Small
• Gayella Template:Small
• Gluema Template:Small
• Inhambanella Template:Small
• Isonandra Template:Small
• Labatia Template:Small
• Labourdonnaisia Template:Small
• Labramia Template:Small
• Lecomtedoxa Template:Small
• Letestua Template:Small
• Lucuma Template:Small
• Madhuca Template:Small
• Magodendron Template:Small
• Malacantha Template:Small
• Manilkara Template:Small
• Martiusella Template:Small
• Micropholis Template:Small
• Mimusops Template:Small
• Nemaluma Template:Small
• Neohemsleya Template:Small
• Neolemonniera Template:Small
• Niemeyera Template:Small
• Northia Template:Small
• Omphalocarpum Template:Small
• Palaquium Template:Small
• Payena Template:Small
• Peteniodendron Template:Small
• Pichonia Template:Small
• Planchonella Pierre
• Pleioluma Template:Small
• Pouteria Template:Small
• Pradosia Template:Small
• Prieurella Template:Small
• Pycnandra Template:Small
• Ragala Template:Small
• Sahulia Template:Small
• Sarcaulus Template:Small
• Sarcosperma Template:Small
• Sersalisia R.Br.
• Sideroxylon Template:Small
• Spiniluma Template:Small
• Synsepalum Template:Small
• Tieghemella Template:Small
• Tridesmostemon Template:Small
• Tsebona Template:Small
• Van-royena Aubrév.
• Vitellaria Template:Small
• Vitellariopsis Template:Small
• Xantolis Template:Small