''Manilkara elata'', also called the cow tree, is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

region in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, where it is endangered by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Uses

The edible fruit resembles small apples, and its flesh has a creamy, milk-like texture, which gave the tree its name. It is commonly sold by vendors in the Brazilian state of

Pará Pará is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian state) ...

. Indigenous peoples of the Amazon drink the milk exuded from the tree's bark. The wood is very hard and heavy, with a normal amount of pores. It is extremely durable and highly to insect damage and rotting.

References

elata Endangered plants Flora of Brazil Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Sapotaceae-stub