MYRTLE FAMILY (MYRTACEAE) 



188. Pomarrosa, rose-apple 



A naturalized tree with handsome foliage and 

 edible fruits, rose-apple is distinguished by: (1) 

 stems frequently very crooked and several from 

 a single base; (2) a dense opaque dark crown; (3) 

 opposite, shiny, dark green, lance-shaped, leathery 

 leaves 31/4-8 inches long and %-l% inches broad, 

 with minute gland dots visible against the light 

 with a lens; (4) few large j'ellowish-white 4-pet- 

 aled flowers in terminal clusters, 3-4 inches across 

 the numerous widely spreading long stamens; and 

 (5) fragrant ])ale yellowish or pinkish-tinged 

 rounded or elliptic fruits about li/^-li/^ inches 

 long, with 4 sepals at apex, the slightly sweet, 

 edible flesh with odor and flavor like rose perfume. 



A small evergreen tree 15-30 feet tall and 4—8 

 inches in trunk diameter, with a spi'eading crown. 

 The brown bark is smoothish with nuiny small 

 fissures. The inner bark is whitish or light brown 

 and astringent. Twigs are dark bi-own, green 

 when ycung. 



The short petioles are %6'~% irich in length. 

 Leaf blades are very long-pointed at apex, short- 

 pointed at base, not toothed on edges, and dull 

 green beneath. Often the leaves are covered with 

 a black sooty mold fungus which makes them ap- 

 pear even darker. 



The flower cluster (corymb) has commonly 4 

 or 5 flowers. An individual flower is mostly a 

 brushlike mass of whitish stamens, which are 11/4-2 

 inches long, with brown clot anthere. The conical 

 pinkish-green tubular base (hypanthium) is about 

 1,4 inch higli and wide, enclosing the ovai-y; there 

 are 4 rounded broad sepals Vi inch long, persistent 

 on the fruit; 4 rounded concave whitish petals 

 about % inch long, faintly tinged with green, 

 coarsely gland dotted; and pistil consisting of the 

 inferior 2-celled ovary and persistent whitish 

 slender style 1% inches long. 



Fruits (berries) have pale yellow firm flesh with 

 little juice and usually 1 (sometimes 2) rounded 

 brown seed % inch in diameter in a large cavity. 

 About 180 seeds per ]>ound. Flowering and fruit- 

 ing nearly through the year, though infrequently 

 in summer. 



The dull lirown wood is hard and heavy (spe- 

 cific gravity 0.7). Used chiefly as fuel. It is not 



Eugenia jambos L.* 



durable in the soil and is very susceptible to attack 

 by dry-wood termites. Young branches have been 

 tised for making coarse baskets and barrel hoops. 

 In Cuba tobacco poles are made from the branches. 



Planted occasionally for ornament, primarily 

 for the showy flowers and handsome foliage and 

 sometimes for windbreaks and shade, rather than 

 for the fruits, which are insipid and not popular. 

 Sometimes the fruits ai'e prepared into jellies, pre- 

 seT'ves, and salads. A good honey plant. Else- 

 where the seeds and roots have been employed in 

 home remedies. The trees reproduce naturally 

 from seeds, and sprout vigorously when cut. The 

 shade beneath pure thickets generally kills out all 

 vegetation. 



In the lower mountain, moist coast, and moist 

 limestone regions of Puerto Rico, locally abun- 

 dant, spreading like a weed, and forming pure 

 stands or dense thickets, especially along streams. 

 Also in St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tor- 

 tola. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guaja- 

 taca, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio Abajo, Su- 

 siia, Toro Negro, Vega. 



MrXICIPALITIES WHERE ESPECIALLY COMMON. — 



4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 40, 43, 

 45,49,51,52,59,60,62. 



R.VNGE. — Native of southeastern tropical Asia 

 but now widely cultivated and naturalized 

 through the tropics, including West Indies and 

 continental tropical America from Mexico south 

 to Brazil. Planted also in Florida and southern 

 California and in Bermuda. 



Other common names. — plum-rose (Virgin Is- 

 lands) ; porno (Dominican Republic) ; manzana 

 rosa (Cuba) ; manzana rosa, manzana (Central 

 America) ; pomarrosa, manzanita de rosa (Co- 

 lombia) ; rose-apple (United States, English) ; 

 ponnne rose, pommier rose (French) ; jambosier 

 (French Guiana); plum-rose (Dutch West In- 

 dies) ; pommeroos, appelroos (Surinam) ; jam- 

 beiro, jambo amarello (Brazil). 



Botanical synonyms. — Jambos jambos (L.) 

 Millsp., Jamhosa vulgaris DC., Syzygiuvi jambos 

 (Li.) Alston, Caryophyllus jambos (L.) Stokes. 



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