Bunchosia armeniaca

Bunchosia armeniaca is a species in the family Malpighiaceae native to northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Peru). Common names include cansaboca, cirhuela de frayle, ciruela de fraile (friar's plum), guáimaro, indano, and mamey de tierra fría (cold-earth mamey). Its Kichwa name is usuma. Bunchosia armeniaca can attain a height of 20 meters, but it commonly grows to 5 meters. It can be found between 100–2600 m of elevation in a wide range of ecological habitats. Bunchosia armeniaca yields a fruit that is very sweet and with cloying red pulp, which adheres strongly to the seeds, hence the Spanish etymology cansaboca (tired mouth). The two seeds in each berry were said to be poisonous by Joseph Dombey. Due to rapid spoilage on the tree, the fruit are often harvested while still a creamy-green and ripened to a red colour indoors.

Description

An evergreen shrub or tree. It grows 4-10 m high. The leaves are thick and not very wavy. They are 22.5 cm long by 10 cm wide. The flowers are in compact erect racemes. The petals have fringed edges. The fruit are broadly oval. They are 2.5 cm across and dark red. The thin skin is covered with white down. The fruit pulp is dark red and sweet. There are 2 large seeds.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The round, light green to orange fruits have a cream-coloured flesh that is very sweet and rather cloying. The flesh is sweet but thin and rather dry. The fruit, which is 25 - 40mm in diameter, is produced in clusters of 8 - 10. Usually eaten out of hand, they are also made into preserves.

Traditional Uses

The fruit has a sticky sweet pulp. It has a taste a little like peanut-butter. The fruit are eaten fresh or used in preserves. They are chewy.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to South America. It grows naturally in Andes countries between 1500-2400 m altitude. It grows in lowland humid and dry forests. It can tolerate flooding for brief periods. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Andes, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Hawaii, Pacific, Peru*, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, USA, Venezuela, West Indies,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings of semi-ripe wood. Greenwood cuttings.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Production

Plants produce fruit 2 years after planting. There are several crops of fruit per year.

Other Information

It is a cultivated fruit tree.

Notes

There are 68 Bunchosia species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Bunchoise des Andes, Caferana, Cansaboca, Cereja, Cerezo, Chico Mamey, Ciruela de fraile, Ciruela silvestre, Ciruela verde, Ciruelo, Indano

References (23)

• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 71
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 69
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 146
• Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 80
• Hermandez Bermejo, J.E., and Leon, J. (Eds.), 1994, Neglected Crops. 1492 from a different perspective. FAO Plant Production and Protection Series No 26. FAO, Rome. p15

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