1757

2: Edible fruits and nuts

Psidium guineense Swartz

MYRTACEAE

Brazilian guava (En). Guayavier du Brésil (Fr).

Originating from tropical America. Cultivated in America, India, Java and on some Polynesian islands.

The fruits are suitable for making jelly and compote. Decoctions of leaves, bark and roots are used in traditional medicine against colds, ulcers and diarrhoea. The bark is rich in tannin. The wood is strong and used for small utensils.

Shrub, 1—3 m tall, sometimes a tree up to 7 m tall. Fruit a globose or pyriform berry, 1—2.5 cm diameter, yellow, flesh pale-yellow with numerous small hard seeds. At medium altitudes, not on sandy light soils. A very variable species, easily crossing with Psidium guajava.

[3]Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R.C., 1963–1968. Flora of Java. 3 Volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands.
[51]Mansfeld, R. & Schultze-Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.
[56]Morton, J.F., 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Creative Resource Systems Inc., Winterville, N.C., USA. 503 pp.

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen

Jansen, P.C.M., Jukema, J., Oyen, L.P.A. & van Lingen, T.G., 1991. Psidium guineense Swartz. In: Verheij, E.W.M. and Coronel, R.E. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2: Edible fruits and nuts. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea