''Genipa americana'' () is a species of trees in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of North and South America, as well as the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Description

''Genipa americana'' trees are up to 30 m tall and up to 60 cm dbh. Their bark is smooth with little fissures. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are opposite, obovate, or obovate oblong, 10–35 cm long, 6–13 cm wide, and glossy dark green, with entire margin, acute or acuminate apex, and attenuated base. The inflorescences are cymes up to 10 cm long. The flowers are white to yellowish, slightly fragrant,

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

bell-shaped,

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

at 2–4.5 cm long, trumpet-shaped, and five- or six-lobed. The five short

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 are inserted on top of the corolla tube. The fruit is a thick-skinned edible greyish

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

10–12 cm long, 5–9 cm in diameter.

Distribution and habitat

''Genipa americana'' is native to the tropical forests of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, from tropical Florida south to Argentina. It is present from sea level up to 1200 m of elevation, although some argue the original native range as being northern South America.

Vernacular names

In English, the tree is known as the genip tree and the fruit as genipap .

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

: ''jagua, caruto, huito''; Brazil: ''jenipapo'', formerly ''genipapo'';

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

: ''guaitil, tapaculo''; Nicaragua: ''tapaculo, yigualtí''; Mexico:'' shagua, xagua, maluco'';

Perú , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy fo ...

: ''huito, vito, jagua''; Argentina: ''ñandipá'';

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

:'' bí'' Its name has been reconstructed as ''we'e'' (*weʔe) in

Proto Proto or PROTO may refer to: Language * Proto-, an English prefix meaning "first" Media * ''Proto'' (magazine), an American science magazine * Radio Proto in Cyprus Music * ''Proto'' (Holly Herndon album), 2019 * ''Proto'' (Leo O'Kelly ...

- Tucanoan.

Chemical compounds

The following compounds have been isolated from ''G. americana'': genipic acid, genipinic acid,

genipin Genipin is a chemical compound found in ''Genipa americana'' fruit extract. It is an aglycone derived from an iridoid glycoside called geniposide which is also present in fruit of ''Gardenia jasminoides''. Genipin is an excellent natural cross- ...

(all three from the fruit) and

geniposidic acid Geniposidic acid is a natural chemical compound, classified as an iridoid glucoside, found in a variety of plants including ''Eucommia ulmoides'' and ''Gardenia jasminoides ''Gardenia jasminoides'', commonly known as gardenia, is an evergreen ...

(leaves).

Uses

The unripe fruit of ''G. americana'' yields a liquid used as a dye for tattoos, skin painting and insect repellent. This species is also cultivated for its edible fruits, which are eaten in preserves or made into drinks, jelly, or ice cream. The wood is reported to be resistant, strong, and easily worked; it is used in the making of utensils and in construction and carpentry.

Gallery

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1353278 Gardenieae Trees of South America Trees of North America Trees of the Caribbean Plants described in 1759 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status