Hesperomeles obtusifolia

(Pers.) Lindl.

Quique, Macha macha

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit, Leaves - tea 1,223 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Hesperomeles obtusifolia is a species of plant native to South America. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The fruits of this species are edible, eaten freshly picked from the tree.

Description

A tropical shrub about 2 m tall in the Rosaceae family, producing red edible fruit. It grows at high elevations of 3,000-3,200 m.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The red fruit are edible. The leaves are used to make tea.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows at about 3,000-3,200 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Andes, Bolivia, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, South America, Venezuela,

Synonyms

Crataegus escalloniaefoliaCrataegus escalloniifoliaCrataegus obtusifolia Pers.Eriobotrya cuneataEriobotrya glabrataEriobotrya heterophyllaEriobotrya obtusifolia (Pers.) DCHesperomeles chiriquensis WoodsonHesperomeles escalloniifoliaHesperomeles fieldiiHesperomeles glabrataHesperomeles heterophylla Hook. [Illegitimate]Hesperomeles obovata (Pittier) Standl.Hesperomeles obtusifolia var. pernettyoidesHesperomeles pachyphyllaHesperomeles pernettyoidesHesperomeles pernettyoides var. glaucophyllaMespilus glabrataMespilus heterophylla (heterotypic)Mespilus obtusifoliaMespilus persooniaOsteomeles cuneataOsteomeles escalloniifoliaOsteomeles glabrataOsteomeles heterophylla Ruiz. & Pav.Osteomeles intermediaOsteomeles obovata PittierOsteomeles obtusifoliaOsteomeles pachyphyllaOsteomeles pernettyoidesPyrus escalloniifoliaPyrus lithomeloPyrus obtusifolia

Also Known As

Higuito, Thuna coca coca, Umlyash

References (9)

Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 299
Kew Plants of the World Online
Lopez-Diago, D. & Garcia, N., 2021, Wild edible fruits of Colombia. Biota ColomBiana 22 (2) p 49
NYBG herbarium "edible"
Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 99 (As Osteomeles obtusifolia)

Show all 9 references

Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
Torre, de la, L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 532
Van den Eynden, V., et al, 2003, Wild Foods from South Ecuador. Economic Botany 57(4): 576-603
Wikipedia