Guabiroba-pamonha
Campomanesia hirsuta
Family: Myrtaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-7 m high. The crown is pyramid shaped. The trunk is slightly grooved and 15-25 cm across. The bark is corky and flaky. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and tapers to the tip with a wedge shaped base. They are 4-8 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowers are single or up to 3 in a group in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a berry with fleshy pulp. It can be 4 cm across.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows on high slopes in the humid Atlantic forest in Brazil.
Countries/locations it is found in
Brazil (country/location of origin), South America
How it is used for food
The fruit are used for jelly and juice.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds. The seeds are collected from ripe fruit by shaking fruiting branches over canvas and collecting the fruit. These are then put in plastic bags to partly decompose and the seeds washed out under running water. The seeds need to be planted fresh and are best in light shade. Seedlings emerge in 30-40 days.
Plants grow slowly.