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Tropical Plant "Grumichama"
Eugenia brasiliensis
An often admired but still very minor fruiting member of the
Myrtaceae, the grumichama, Eugenia brasiliensis Lam.
(syn. E. dombeyi Skeels), is also called grumixama,
grumichameira, or grumixameira in Brazil, and sometimes
Brazil cherry elsewhere. Grumichama Description
The
highly ornamental tree is slender, erect, usually to 25 or
35 ft (7.5-10.5 m) high, short-trunked and heavily foliaged
with opposite, oblong-oval leaves 3 1/2 to 5 in (9-16 cm)
long, 2 3/8 in (5-6 cm) wide, with recurved margin; glossy,
thick, leathery, and minutely pitted on both surfaces. They
persist for 2 years. New shoots are rosy.
The flowers, borne singly in the leaf axils, are 1 in (2.5
cm) wide; have 4 green sepals and 4 white petals, and about
100 white stamens with pale-yellow anthers. The long-stalked
fruit is oblate, 1/2 to 3/4 in (1.25-2 cm) wide; turns from
green to bright-red and finally dark-purple to nearly black
as it ripens, and bears the persistent, purple- or red-tinted
sepals, to 1/2 in (1.25 cm) long, at its apex.
The skin is thin, firm and exudes dark-red juice. The red
or white pulp is juicy and tastes much like a true subacid
or sweet cherry except for a touch of aromatic resin. There
may be 1 more or less round, or 2 to 3 hemispherical, hard,
light-tan or greenish-gray seeds to 1/2 in (1.25 cm) wide
and half as thick.
Grumichama Origin
and Distribution
The
grumichama is native and wild in coastal southern Brazil,
especially in the states of Parana and Santa Catarina. It
is cultivated in and around Rio de Janeiro, also in Paraguay.
A specimen was growing in Hope Gardens, Jamaica, in 1880 and
a tree was planted in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore, in
1888, fruited in 1903.
It has long since vanished from both of these locations. An
attempt to grow it in the Philippines in the early 1920's
did not meet with success. Neither did a trial in Israel.
An early introduction, perhaps by Don Francisco de Paula Marin
in 1791, was made in Hawaii and the tree was adopted into
numerous local gardens.
The
United States Department of Agriculture received seeds from
Mauritius in 1911 (S.P.I. #30040); plants and seeds from Bahia,
Brazil, in 1914 (S.P.I. #36968), and more seeds from Mauritius
in 1922 (S.P.I. #54797). Plants were set out at the Plant
Introduction Station in Miami and prospered. Other plantings
were made in California where it seemed even better adapted
but has apparently disappeared.
The United States Department of Agriculture raised seedlings
at Puerto Arturo, Honduras, and transferred some plants to
the Lancetilla Experimental Garden at Tela in 1926. They flourished
there and flowered and fruited well.
Over
the years there have been mild efforts to encourage interest
in the virtues of the grumichama in Florida, mainly because
of the beauty and hardiness of the tree and the pleasant flavor
of the fruit but the sepals are a nuisance and there is too
little flesh in proportion to seed for the fruit to be taken
seriously.
Grumichama Varieties
Variety
leucocarpus Berg. in Brazil becomes a large tree to
65 ft (20 m) high and has fruits with white flesh. It is not
as common as the red-fleshed type.
Grumichama Climate
The
grumichama is subtropical, surviving temperatures of 26º F
(-3.33º C) in Brazil. It is better suited to Palm Beach than
to southern Florida. In Hawaii, the tree fruits best from
sea-level to an altitude of no more than 300 ft (90 m).
Grumichama Soil
The
grumichama does better on acid sand in Central Florida than
it does on limestone in the south. It is reported to prefer
deep, fertile, sandy loam. Sturrock says it grows well in
rich clay in Cuba but is adversely affected by the long, dry
season.
Grumichama Propagation
Wilson
Popenoe stated that propagation in Brazil is entirely by seeds
which remain viable for several weeks and germinate in about
a month. Fenzi says that seeds, cuttings and air-layers are
employed, and Sturrock has mentioned that grafting is easy.
Grumichama Culture
The
grumichama is of slow growth when young unless raised in a
mixture of peat moss and sand and then given a thick layer
of peat moss around the roots when setting out, and kept heavily
fertilized. In Hawaii, it has taken 7 years to reach 7 ft.
Fruiting begins when the plants are 4 to 5 years old.
Grumichama Season
The
tree is regarded as remarkable for the short period from flowering
to fruiting. In Florida, it has been in full bloom in late
April and loaded with fruits 30 days later. The crop ripens
quickly over just a few days. In Hawaii, the trees bloom and
fruit from July to December, with the main crop in the fall.
Trees in Brazil vary considerably in time of flowering and
fruiting so that the overall season extends from November
to February.
Grumichama Pests
In
Hawaii, the fruits are heavily attacked by the Mediterranean
fruit fly.
Grumichama Food
Uses
Fully
ripe grumichamas are pleasant to nibble out-of-hand. in Hawaii,
half-ripe fruits are made into pie, jam or jelly.
Grumichama Medicinal
Uses
The
bark and leaves contain 1.5% of essential oil. The leaf or
bark infusion-1/3 oz (10 g) of plant material in 10 1/2 oz
(300 g) water-is aromatic, astringent, diuretic and taken
as a treatment for rheumatism at the rate of 2 to 4 cups daily,
in Brazil.
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