Manipuca, Puca
Mouriri glazioviana
Family: Melastomataceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 8-12 m high. The crown is pyramid shaped. The trunk is crooked and has holes. It is 15-25 cm across. The bark is brown and flakes off in pieces. The leaves are narrowly oval and taper to the tip. They are 6-18 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. The fruit is a smooth rounded berry. It can be 3 cm across. It has a sweet juicy pulp and 1-3 seeds.
They have also been put in the family Memecylaceae.
Where it is found
It grows in forests that lose many leaves during the year. It is often at higher elevations in Brazil.
Countries/locations it is found in
Bolivia, Brazil, South America
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten.
The fruit are popular locally.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds are collected from ripe fruit and the fruit are placed in a plastic bag to allow the pulp to partly decompose to make removing seeds easier. The pulp is removed under running water and the seeds planted fresh. They are best in part shade. Seedlings emerge in 4-6 months.
Plants grow at a slow to moderate rate.