Perennial Edible Fruits C2P41

Description: Shrub or tree to 8 m. Propagation by seed. Fruit production in 3-4 years. Flowers March-May (Florida). Fruit matures in 60 days. Fruit spherical, 3-5 cm in diameter, external color yellow

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, as juice, in jellies; flavoring in alcoholic beverages. Flavor sweet, insipid. Odor sometimes unpleasant. Little possibility for cultivation outside local areas.

References: Fouqué 1974, Popenoe 1939.

Feijoa sellowiana Berg
Common names: pineapple guava, feijoa (English);
feijoa, guayaba chilena, guaybo (Spanish); feijoa
(French); feijoa, guayabo del pals (Portuguese).

Origin: South America.

Distribution: Subtropics, cool Tropics.

Cultural requirements: Best development in cool subtropical and highland tropical climates. Tolerant of considerable range in rainfall, variety of soil conditions. Fruits poorly in hot tropical lowlands.

Description: Shrub or tree to 6 m. Propagation by seed, cuttings, layering, grafting. Fruit production in 3-5 years from seed, 2-3 years from vegetative propagation. Flowers April-May. Plants often self-sterile: fruiting improved by cross-pollination. Fruit matures in 150-180 days. Fruit ellipsoid, 2-5 m long. 2-4 cm in diameter: external color green, internal white.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, in jellies, preserves. Flavor sweet, pleasant; moderate appeal. Mainly a home garden fruit. Little potential for develop-ment.

References: Fouqué 1974, Popenoe 1939, Ruehle et al. 1958.

Myrciaria cauliflora Berg
Common names: jaboticaba (English, French, Span-ish); jaboticaba sabara, jabuticaba (Portuguese).
Origin: Brazil.

Distribution: Introduced widely into tropical and subtropical areas but not common outside South America.

Cultural requirements: Cool tropical and warm sub-tropical climates with medium to high rainfall. Fertile, mildly acid. well-drained soils best Tolerant of light frost.

Description: Shrub or tree to 12 m. Propagation by seed (can be grafted). Fruit production in 6-10 years or more from seed. Several cycles of flowers and fruit a year. Fruit matures in 30-40

days. Fruit spherical, 2-3 cm in diameter, borne on trunk and large limbs; external color black, internal white or pink.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh. in jellies, made into wines. Flavor sweet. excellent. wide appeal. Excellent home garden fruit with some potential for greater commercial production Good orna-mental plant. Several varieties known in Brazil.

References: Fouqué 1974, Popenoe 1939, Ruehle et al. 1958.

Myrciaria floribunda Berg
Common names: guava berry (English); mirto, murta, mije. mijo (Spanish).

Origin: Mexico, West Indies. South America.

Distribution: Tropical America.

Cultural requirements: Warm tropical lowlands; rela-tively dry to moist conditions, variety of soils Poor growth in high-pH soils.

Description: Shrub or tree to 12 m. Propagation by seed. Fruit production in 6-8 years. Flowers May-June (Florida). Fruit matures in 60 days. Fruit spherical to ovoid, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, solitary on new growth; external color red or yellow, internal yellow orange.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, in jellies, preserves; flavoring in alcoholic beverages. Flavor sweet, aromatic, pleasant. Little possibility of commercial development.

Reference: Little et al. 1974.

Pseudanamomis umbellulifera (H.B.K.) Kausel
Common names: monos plum (English); cereza de mono (Spanish).

Origin: Venezuela.

Distribution: Venezuela, Florida.

Cultural requirements: Hot tropical lowlands with medium to high rainfall. Tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, light frost.

Description: Shrub to 5 m. Propagation by seed. Fruit production in 3-5 years. Often two crops of fruit per year (Florida). Fruit ellipsoid. 2.5-3 cm in diameter; external color orange, internal yellow orange.

Utilization: Pulp eaten fresh, in jellies. Flavor sweet, insipid. Little potential for cultivation.

Psidium araca Raddi (= P. guineense Sw.)
Common names: Brazilian guava (English); araca de Brasil, guayaba acids (Spanish); goyavier acide, goyavier du Brésil (French); araca, araca do campo (Portuguese).

Origin: South America.

Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics