Pajura
Couepia bracteosa

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 20 m tall. The crown is dense and narrow. The leaves are simple and leathery. They are dark green and shiny on top and greyish-brown and dusty underneath. They are 20-34 cm long on stalks 1-2 cm long. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves and at the ends of branches. The flowers are small, white and uneven. The fruit are oval and fleshy. There is a large seed. The skin is thin and the pulp is thick. The fruit have a high oil content.

There are 71 Couepia species. They are all in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in tropical dryland forest in the Amazon in Brazil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh.

It is a cultivated fruit tree. They are popular.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are collected from very ripe fruit that have the pulp washed out. The seeds should be planted fresh. Seeds can take several weeks to emerge.

Its other names

Local names

Aruadan, Coro, Marirana, Oiti, Olosapo, Pajura de mata, Pajura-de-racha, Pajura-verdadeiro

Synonyms

Couepia bracteosa var. grandifolia Benoist; Couepia bracteosa var. minor Ducke; Couepia bracteosa f. typica Porto; Moquilea bracteosa (Benth.) Walp.; Moquilea rufa Barb.Rodr.;