''Eugenia uniflora'', the pitanga,

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

cherry, Brazilian cherry,

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...

cherry, cerisier carré, monkimonki kersie or ñangapirí, is a flowering plant in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

, native to tropical South America’s east coast, ranging from

, French Guiana to southern Brazil, as well as Uruguay and parts of Paraguay and Argentina. It is often used in gardens as a hedge or screen. The tree was introduced to Bermuda for ornamental purposes but is now out of control and listed as an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

. The tree has also been introduced to Florida.

Description

''Eugenia uniflora'' is a large shrub or small tree with a conical form, growing slowly to high. When bruised, crushed, or cut, the leaves and branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, which can cause respiratory discomfort in susceptible individuals. The leaves are without stipules, ovate, glossy, and held in opposite pairs. New leaves are bronze, copper, or coppery-pinkish in color, maturing to deep glossy green, up to long. During winter, the leaves turn red. Flowers have four white petals and are borne on long slender stalks, with a conspicuous central cluster of white

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s ending in yellow anthers. Flowers develop into ribbed fruits long, starting as green, then ranging through orange, scarlet, and maroon as they ripen. Because fruit-eating birds distribute the seeds, they can become a weed in suitable tropical and sub-tropical habitats, displacing native flora.

Uses

Culinary uses

The edible fruit is a botanical berry. The taste ranges from sweet to sour, depending on the cultivar and level of ripeness (the darker red to black range is quite sweet, while the green to orange range is strikingly tart). Its predominant food use is as a flavoring and base for jams and jellies. The fruit is high in vitamin C and a source of provitamin A. The leaves are also used for tea in certain parts of Uruguay.

Use as an insect repellent

The leaves are spread on some house floors in Brazil so that they exude a smell that repels flies when crushed underfoot.

Medical uses

''Eugenia uniflora'' has several significant pharmacological properties. Its essential oil is

antihypertensive Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Evidence suggests that ...

, antidiabetic, antitumor and

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ...

, and it has shown antiviral and antifungal activity. It has performed against microorganisms such as ''Trichomonas gallinae'' (in vitro), ''Trypanosoma cruzi'' and ''Leishmania amazonensis''. It also shows significant anti-inflammatory properties, and is used extensively as a folk remedy in South America against stomach diseases.

Gallery

File:Starr 080610-8163 Eugenia uniflora.jpg, flowers Image:Eugenia_uniflora_fruits.jpg, ''Eugenia uniflora fruits'' Image:Eugenia_unifloraZZ.jpg, ''Eugenia uniflora'' Image:Eugenia uniflora.JPG, ''Eugenia uniflora'' Image:Eugenia_flor.JPG, ''Eugenia uniflora'' Image:Eugenia uniflora -young leaves.jpg, Eugenia uniflora -young leaves File:Z Eugenia uniflora, Pitanga140525NI1.JPG, With fruits on tree File:ריבת פיטנגו.jpg, Pitanga jam

References

External links

Purdue University New Crop Resource Online Program''Eugenia uniflora'' in the Global Invasive Species Database

* ttp://www.hear.org/pier/wra/pacific/eugenia_uniflora_htmlwra.htm Weed risk assessment for ''Eugenia uniflora'' for Hawaii/PacificRetrieved 2010-06-20.
Bermuda Department of Conservation Services, Invasive Species Page for Suriname Cherry.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q306504 uniflora Flora of South America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus