Psidium littorale (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Psidium littorale Raddi

Family: Myrtaceae

Synonyms

• Psidium acre Tenore,
• Psidium cattleianum Sabine.

Vernacular names

• Strawberry guava, cattley guava (En).

Distribution

Originating from lowland eastern Brazil, it is now cultivated in South America, United States, subtropical Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and occasionally in the Philippines and in Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The fruits are eaten out-of-hand or prepared into jelly, jam, etc. It is often planted as an ornamental hedge.

Observations

• Shrub or small tree, 2-4(-12) m tall.
• Fruit a globose to obovoid berry, 2-4 cm long, red, purple or yellow, tipped with the protruding 4-5-parted calyx.

In South-East Asia cultivated at higher altitudes (up to 1500 m) but rare. The strawberry guava is hardier than the common guava and withstands temperatures up to -5°C. The different fruit colours have been botanically classified as varieties or forms.

Selected sources

• Mansfeld, R. & Schultze Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.

• Morton, J.F., 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Creative Resource Systems Inc., Winterville, N.C., USA. 503 pp.

• The Wealth of India, Raw materials (various editors), 1948-1976. 11 Volumes. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen