Chrysophyllum members are usually tropical
trees, often growing rapidly to 10–20 m or more in height. The
leaves are oval, 3–15 cm long, green above, densely golden pubescent below, from which the genus is named. The
flowers are small (3–8 mm), purplish white and have a sweet fragrant smell; they are clustered several together, and are
hermaphroditic (self fertile). The
fruit is edible; round, usually purple skinned (sometimes greenish-white), often green around the
calyx, with a star pattern in the pulp; the flattened
seeds are light brown and hard. The fruit skin is chewy like gum, and contrary to some reports, is edible. In 1990 and 1991 T.D. Pennington adopted a wide circumscription of
Chrysophyllum, giving it a
Pantropical distribution. Later morphological and phylogenetic studies confirmed that the genus defined by Pennington was
polyphyletic, and in 2017 De Faria
et. al. proposed that
Chrysophyllum be more narrowly circumscribed, and some species placed in the revived genera
Achrouteria, Cornuella, Martiusella, Nemaluma, Prieurella, and
Ragala. ==Species==