Guatteria scandens

Ducke

Annonaceae Edible: Fruit 18 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A woody climber. It can be 20 m long. The fruit are in bunches of 25-40. The ripen to a dark red or black. The fruit is 13-17 mm long by 7-9 mm wide.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. The thin layer of flesh is sweet and mucilaginous. Eating the fruit is said to clean the tongue. The fruits are produced in bunches of 25 - 40. Maturing dark red to purple-black or black, each ellipsoid fruit is around 13 - 17m long and 7 - 9mm wide, with some fruits up to 24mm and 13mm wide. The single seed can be 11 - 16mm by 6 - 7mm,

Medicinal Uses

The bark is the source of a tonic, aromatic infusion. The bark is febrifuge. The leaves and the bark contain 17 alkaloids, including guattescine and guattescidine.