Veludinha, Veludinho, Veludo
Guettarda pohliana
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 3-7 m tall. It has many branches. The trunk is short and crooked and 15-25 cm across. The bark is grey and splits irregularly. The leaves are opposite. The leaf blades are oval or sword shaped and 5-8 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The flowers are in a flat topped group in the axils of leaves and at the ends of branches. There are 7-20 flowers in a group. The fruit is fleshy with a stone inside and velvety black when ripe.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in seasonal forests in Brazil. It is often along streams in moist soil.
Countries/locations it is found in
Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Guianas, South America, Suriname
How it is used for food
The small amount of juicy sweet flesh is eaten.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds. The ripe fruit are shaken into a canvas and allowed to dry. These dried fruits need to be planted fresh into a seedbed under part shade. Seedlings emerge in 80-100 days.
Plants grow slowly.