Byrsonima coccolobifolia

Family: Malpighiaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows 4-6 m high. The crown is small and round. The trunk is twisted and 15-25 cm across. The leaves are simple and opposite. They do not have leaf stalks. They are papery and have easy to see veins. Leaves are 7-10 cm long by 5-7 cm wide. The flowers are in groups at the ends of branches. These are 5-10 cm long. The flower stalks are 2-3 cm long. The flowers are pink. The fruit are 1-2 cm wide and round and fleshy. They have one round seed.

There are 127 Byrsonima species. They grow in tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in sandy and well drained soils in Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Paraguay, South America, Suriname, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and put in a plastic bag to allow them to soften to make it easier to remove the seed. The seeds are washed out in running water. Fresh seed are planted and germinate in 5-8 weeks.

Plants grow slowly. They reach 1.5 m high in 2 years.

Its other names

Local names

Canjiqueira, Chaparro-mantega, Huria, Manteco merey, Murici-do-cerrado, Murici-rosa, Muriye, Semanera, Somanera, Sumanera

Synonyms

Byrsonima sessilifolia Benth.; Malpighia coccolobaefolia Spreng.; Malpighia pruinosa Sieb;