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HS1128

Scientific Name: Blighia sapida

Common Names: ackee, akee, achee, vegetable brains

Family: Sapindaceae

Relatives: lychee, longan, rambutan

Origin: Indigenous to the Ivory Coast and Gold Coast of West tropical Africa.

Distribution: Trees may also be found in many Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Bahamas), Central America (e.g., Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala), South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Surinam, Colombia, Ecuador), as well as the United States, (Florida).

History: The species was brought to Jamaica in 1793 by Captain Bligh and is now naturalized throughout that country.