Blighia sapida

Blighia sapida , a member of the Sapindaceae family, is a tropical multipurpose woody perennial forest fruit tree species and native of the Guinean forests of West Africa (Ekué et al., 2011). The species is commonly called Ackee, a name that is derived from the West African “Akan” akye fufo . The fruit, which has become a national fruit in Jamaica, was imported into Jamaica from West Africa in the sixteenth century. The tree gained scientific recognition in 1793 when Captain William Bligh took the fruit from Jamaica to the Royal Botanic Garden in Kew, England, and introduced it to the scientific community (Lewis, 1965, cited in Maurya et al., 2013). The generic name “ Blighia ” honours Captain William Bligh while the specific epithet is in reference to the presence of substances in its seeds which turn water soapy or frothy (Orwa et al., 2009). Since its introduction to Jamaica, Blighia sapida has become a major feature of various Caribbean cuisines. From its West African origin, Ackee apple has traversed the Atlantic Ocean, making the Caribbean its home. The tree is often cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas around the world (especially in the Caribbean, Central America and South Florida) for its edible fruit (Barceloux, 2008; Ouattara et al., 2010; Falloon et al., 2014).