Guas vara, Caimitillo, Murta
Mouriri domingensis

Family: Melastomataceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. it grows 9 m high. The trunk can be 15 cm across. The leaves are 409 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowering stalks are in the axils of leaves or where leaves have fallen and there are 1-8 flowers on each stalk. The fruit are berries with one or two large seeds. The fruit are orange, red or black. They are flattened round shaped and about 1.5 cm wide.

There are 81 Mouriri species. They have also been put in the family Memecylaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow in the moist lowland tropics. It can be in shaded and dry places. It grows up to 760 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Antilles, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Hispaniola, Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico (country/location of origin), West Indies (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Aulocarpus quadrangularis Griseb.; Eugenia tetrasperma Bello; Mouriri mexicana DC.; Myrtus brasiliana L. p.p.; Petaloma domingensis Tussac;