Big fruit porcelia
Porcelia macrocarpa

Family: Annonaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 10-20 m high. The crown is round or pyramid shape. The trunk is 60-80 cm across. The bark is smooth and light coloured, but fibrous. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are 7-12 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The flowers occur singly at the ends of stalks. They are large and showy and have a smell. The fruit are long berries. They occur in bunches. There is a small amount of soft sweet flesh and many seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in Brazil in forests near the Atlantic coast.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil (country/location of origin), South America

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

The plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and the seeds removed. They are washed in running water and dried in the shade. The seeds have a hard seed coat so must be scratched or treated with acid to improve their germination. They also have a long dormancy.

Plants develop slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Banana-de-macaco, Louro-branco, Monkey banana, Pau-de-zinga, Pindaiva-do-mato, Pixirixum

Synonyms

Porcelia goyazensis R. E. Fr.; Uvaria macrocarpa Warm.;