Alibertia edulis
| Alibertia edulis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Alibertia edulis |
| Common name | Marmelada-do-cerrado |
| Genus | Alibertia |
| Family | Rubiaceae |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Growth form | Evergreen dioecious tree |
| Native range | Tropical American forests |
| Mature size | About 7.5 m |
| Fruit | Edible, egg-shaped; ripe color described as yellow in one account and black in a seed study; used for jam and juices |
| Propagation | Seed; laboratory micropropagation |
Alibertia edulis is an accepted species in the coffee family, Rubiaceae.[1] It is an evergreen dioecious tree of tropical American forests, with white tubular flowers and edible fruit described with conflicting ripe colors: yellow in one account and black in a seed study.[2][3]
Description[edit | edit source]
Alibertia edulis is a tree reaching about 7.5 m. The leaves are opposite and ovate. White tubular to trumpet-shaped flowers occur in panicles.[2]
One description gives yellow ripe fruit, while the seed study describes ripe fruit as black; a single ripe color is therefore not treated as settled here.[2][3]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
The species occurs in tropical American forests.[2] A warm root zone with organic matter, steady moisture, and drainage is a habitat-based starting inference from this forest occurrence, not a species-tested prescription.[2]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Bright filtered light and humid air are habitat-based starting conditions from the forest occurrence; treat them as an inference rather than measured species limits.[2]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The plant is evergreen.[2]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seeds germinated without osmotic conditioning in the seed-conditioning work. Polyethylene-glycol conditioning shortened average germination time in some treatments, while tested potentials from −0.3 to −0.7 MPa reduced germination and seedling growth.[3] The same work describes sensitivity to reduced water content and prolonged storage and classifies the seeds as intermediate, so fresh, fully hydrated seed is a more defensible starting point than a routine dry-storage schedule.[3]
Laboratory micropropagation has been demonstrated from sterilized seed-derived explants. The reported protocol used 15 mm explants from 50-day seedlings on one-quarter-strength MS medium; BA plus IBA at 0.5 mg/L each gave the best shoot proliferation, activated charcoal was essential for rooting, and rooted plants were acclimatized.[4] These are laboratory protocol conditions, not a validated ordinary nursery schedule.
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The species is dioecious, with white tubular to trumpet-shaped flowers described in panicles. Fruit is collected from wild trees where the plant is seldom cultivated.[2] Ripe fruit color is described as yellow in one account and black in the seed study, so the conflicting descriptions are retained rather than resolved as a single species value.[2][3]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit is described as edible and used for jam and juices.[2] Ripe color is reported as yellow in one account and black in the seed study, so it remains qualified rather than treated as settled.[2][3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [2] Alibertia edulis.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Flickr - João de Deus Medeiros - Alibertia edulis.jpg — subject identified in the file record as Alibertia edulis at Jardim Botânico de Brasília; creator João Medeiros; CC BY 2.0; attribution: João Medeiros / CC BY 2.0.
