Eugenia uniflora
Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora )
The Surinam cherry ( Eugenia uniflora ), also Pitanga or Brush Cherry, is a species of the genus Kirschmyrten ( Eugenia ) in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ). The specific epithet means uniflora flowered, because the flowers are often individually in the leaf axils.
Description
The Surinam cherry grows as evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching heights of growth of about 5-7 m. The bark of young branches is reddish and hairy. The bark of older twigs and branches is gray - brown. The constantly against arranged leaves are simple and stalked. The petiole has a length of about 1.5 mm. The glossy dark green and ovate to elliptic leaf blade ends pointed, has a length of 3.2 to 4.2 cm and a width of 2.3 to 3 cm. There are five secondary nerves on either side of the main nerve available branching each from there to a 45 ° angle. The leaves of the Neuaustriebs are copper to bronze. The leaves contain essential oils, which are free in the breaking of the leaves.
That appear on the summer flowers are single or up to four in the leaf axils. The four-fold, hermaphroditic flowers have a slight fragrance. The flower cup ( hypanthium ) is short. The four long - elliptic sepals are reflexed. The four petals are white. The 50 to 60 stamens have long white stamens and pale yellow anthers.
From pollination to fruit, it takes 5-7 weeks. The ripe fruits are orange- colored to dark purple, tall and seven to eight times ripped to 5 cm. They usually contain a seed which is spherical in shape and 7 to 12 mm in size; it can also be formed of up to three seeds are then small and flat at both interfaces. The myrtle for relatively large, resinous gray - brown seeds are viable, not long after removal from the fruit, especially dehydration leads to loss of germination. Germination is hypogeous.
Occurrence
The natural range of the Surinam cherry is the eastern South America from Surinam to Uruguay. It is now, however, planted in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. In some regions, however, it is also classified as invasive neophyte.
The Surinam cherry does not have high demands on the soil, if it is not too salty. Even temporary waterlogging it survives. It is moderately frost tolerant; Seedlings to about -2 ° C ( 28 ° F) to about -5.5 established plants ° C ( 22 ° F). Even if it freezes back up to the " rhizome ", it can sprout again. This makes it possible for her to settle, and subtropical or high-altitude habitats with occasional frost. In Guatemala, for example, they can penetrate as a neophyte at altitudes up to 1800 m.
Also bushfires survives the Surinam cherry by their ability to cast out of the " rhizome " relatively good.
Use
The Surinam Cherry is often planted as a hedge for their robustness and their attractive foliage. The fruits can be eaten straight from the tree or processed into juices, jellies and fruit wine. Because of their low durability, the Surinam cherry plays no role as an export crop. The fruits have a vitamin C content to 25 mg per 100 g.
Swell
- Julia F. Morton: Fruits of Warm climates, Florida, 1987: Surinam Cherry, pp. 386-388 online at Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA. (English )
- Jie Chen & Lyn A. Craven: Myrtaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 13, p 331: Eugenia uniflora - Online.