View crop

View crop Data sheet EcoPort

Malpighia glabra

Authority Millsp. Family Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Polygalales:Malpighiaceae Synonyms Malpighia punicifolia L. Common names acerola, acerola cherry, Barbados cherry, cereza, cerisie, Escobillo, semeruco, West Indian cherry Editor Ecocrop code 1406

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A large shrub or small evergreen tree 2-6 m tall, with a short trunk and spreading and densely branched crown. The fruits are light to deep crimson when ripe, 1-3 cm in diameter, with soft, juicy, yellow-orange flesh. USES The fruit has a high vitamin C content, it can be eaten fresh, but is more often made into jelly, jam, preserves, puree, pie, sherbert, wine, or ice cream. It also has medicinal properties. The bark has been used for tanning. The wood, which is hard and heavy can be used for small utensils. The plant is also used as an ornamental and hedge plant. Mentioned as a possible agroforestry species. KILLING T Mature trees may tolerate -2 to -3°C for short periods while young trees only may withstand 0 to -1°C. GROWING PERIOD Perennial evergreen shrub, that will bear in the 2nd year after planting. Seedlings commence flowering when only about 180 days old. (GMIN estimated by the compiler). COMMON NAMES West Indian cherry, Barbados cherry, Chereese, Jamaica cherry, Puerto Rican cherry, Cerise ronde de Cayenne, Cerise, Surinam cherry, Uste, Nance, Nanche, Ceereja, Cereza, Semeruco, Acerola, Cerise des Antilles, Cerise-antillaise, Cerola, Garden cherry, Acerola, Cheresses, Cereza colorada, Choeri, So'ri. FURTHER INF Scientific synonyms: M. punicifolia, M. mexicana, M. edulis. West indian cherry is a native of the Caribbean, southern North America, Central America and northern South America. It thrives at elevations between sea level and 800 m, but it can be found at altitudes up to 1700 m. Sandy soils carry an increasing risk of nematode infection and soils should not be infested with nematodes. Good fruit yields range from 14-30 kg of fruit per tree per year, and recorded yields range from 6.7-105 t/ha per year.
Sources
SOURCES (M. glabra L.) Argles G 1976 pp 386 Rice R 1990 pp 108-109 [TEMP, RAIN, DRA] Nagy S 1980 pp 349 IBPGR 1986 pp 52 Phillips R 1984 FC 28 Atta M 1990 pp 52 Ostendorf F 1963 n 18 Samson J 1982 pp 226 Roecklein J 1987 pp 200 [USE] Purseglove J 1974 pp 637-638 [USE] Hensleigh T 1988 pp 201-205 [LIG, TEXT, DRA, FER, DEP, LIMITS, PH, TEMP, RAIN] Verheij E 1991 pp 198-200 [USE, KTMP, DRA, FER, DEP, DRA, PH]