66. Sapotaceae

Most mornings, after showering, I slap shea butter on my face. It seems to agree with me. Shea butter comes from the nuts of the shea or shi tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, which is native to a huge cross section of Africa -- roughly from Senegal to Ethiopia, and south into Congo. In addition to benefiting the skin, shea is a food staple in much of Africa.

This pan-tropical family of some 800 species includes other edible fruits, many of which are better known in Latin America. The names sapote, zapote, sapota and sapodilla are all interrelated, and if that isn't confusing enough, the tree known as "white sapote" (Casimiroa edulis) -- the only one I have first-hand experience of -- belongs to the Rutaceae or citrus family. As far as the Sapotaceae family is concerned, the commercially import genii are Manilkara, Pouteria, Chrysophyllum and Vitellaria. Some species are good sources of latex, rubber and chicle (a basic ingredient of chewing gum).