Mispel
Miconia longifolia

Family: Melastomataceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. It grows 13 m tall. The flowers are along stalks 5-15 cm long. These are widely branched and reddish-purple. The fruit do not has stalks. The fruit are a flattened berry. They are 0.4 cm long by 0.3 cm wide. They are green but then turn yellow, orange, red, purple then black. The pulp is edible. The seeds are an irregular, angular oval shape. They are 0.15 cm long by 0.1 cm wide. They are brown and shiny.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests near rivers and in secondary forests. It grows in the lowlands and up to 1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Belize, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil, Central America, Colombia (country/location of origin), Costa Rica, Ecuador (country/location of origin), French Guiana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru (country/location of origin), South America, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Winward Is.

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are also eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Mesproe, Loto-oedoe, Mesoepoe, Nispero, Pixirica, Quiebra hueso, Rifari, Rifarillo, Tire, Vino huayo, Waraia

Synonyms

Melastoma longifolium Aubl.; Miconia lambertiana DC.; and others