Goiaba-de-anta-vermelha
Bellucia imperialis
Family: Melastomataceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows 8-14 m tall. The leaves are papery and lighter green underneath. They are 12-25 cm long and rounded. The flowers grow on the stem. The fruit are round and yellow. The skin is thin and the pulp is dense. The seeds are very small.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in dryland vegetation in the Amazon in Brazil.
Countries/locations it is found in
Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), South America
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten fresh. They are mostly used for juice.
They can be a significant food.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. Seeds are collected from ripe fruit. The fruit are placed in plastic bags to partly decompose the fruit to allow easy removal of seeds. The seeds are small and are washed using a fine sieve. The fine seeds are planted fresh by scattering over the ground. Seedlings emerge in 10-20 days.
The tree grows rapidly.
Its other names
Local names
Araca-de-anta-vermelha, Goiaba-de-anta, Papa-terra-vermelha