The domestication of plants, an evolutionary process of importance worldwide, has been widely studied in annual species but very little in perennial species, especially fruit trees. Most studies of domestication have focused on the comparison of morphological characteristics between wild and cultivated populations and on patterns of evolution of phenotypic characteristics that are under selection, known as the domestication syndrome. The objective of this research was to investigate the domestication status of populations of Huaya India (Melicoccus oliviformis, Sapindaceae) in the Yucatan Peninsula using ethnobotanical and morphological evidence. The species is cultivated in both rural and urban communities in this area, and wild populations of Huaya India are found surrounding these sites. We gathered ethnobotanical data by conducting semi-structured interviews and through participatory observation. For each fruit, sugar content and morphological characteristics were measured in situ. The results show the Huaya India presents minimal differences between wild and cultivated fruits in characteristics that are often associated with domestication (weight, length, fruit diameter, exocarp thickness, and sugar content). We attribute these results to the unconscious management to which this species has been and continues to be subjected by the inhabitants of the Maya communities, but further study is needed to determine the extent to which the observed differences reflect genetic differences due to human selection, environmental effects, or a combination of the two.

植物的驯化是世界范围内重要的进化过程，已经在一年生物种中进行了广泛研究，而在多年生物种，尤其是果树中则很少进行研究。大多数驯化研究都集中在比较野生种群和耕种种群的形态特征，以及选择表型特征的进化模式，即所谓的驯化综合症。这项研究的目的是调查华亚印度（O. Melicoccus oliviformis）种群的驯化状况，尤卡坦半岛的Sapindaceae），利用民族植物学和形态学证据。该物种在该地区的农村和城市社区中都有栽培，在这些地点周围发现了华亚印度的野生种群。我们通过进行半结构化访谈和参与性观察收集了人类植物学数据。对于每种水果，原位测量糖含量和形态特征。结果表明，Huaya India在野生水果和栽培水果之间的差异极小，而这些特征通常与驯化有关（重量，长度，果实直径，外果皮厚度和糖含量）。我们将这些结果归因于该物种一直且继续受到玛雅族居民的无意识管理，