Cordiera elliptica
| Marmelada de pinto (Cordiera elliptica) | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cordiera elliptica [1] |
| Genus | Cordiera [1] |
| Family | Rubiaceae [2] |
| Order | Gentianales [2] |
| Habit | Semi-deciduous shrub, about 1–2 m [3] |
| Fruit | Thin-skinned, sweet, fleshy fruit with many seeds, up to about 2 cm across [4] |
Cordiera elliptica is a small fruiting shrub in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. GBIF gives the name as an exact accepted species match. [1] Plants of the World Online places it in central and eastern Brazil and the seasonally dry tropical biome; Alibertia elliptica and Thieleodoxa elliptica are recorded as synonyms. [2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The species is described as a semi-deciduous shrub about 1–2 m tall. A specialist growing account additionally describes a low, clumping or creeping habit, while a Brazilian Cerrado study identifies the plant as dioecious, with separate male and female plants. [3] [4] The plant is native to central and eastern Brazil and is also recorded from Paraguay and northern Brazil in a regional species account. [2] [3]
The fruit is described as thin-skinned, sweet and fleshy, with many seeds and a diameter of up to about 2 cm. One specialist account describes the flavor as resembling sweet potato and records fresh eating and jelly making; those sensory and use details are observations from that account rather than a fixed description of every plant. [3] [4]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
A specialist growing account recommends red or sandy, rapidly draining soil and acidic virgin soil below pH 5.5. Treat those values as a site-specific growing recommendation, not as a tested universal limit. [4] The native range is associated with seasonally dry tropical conditions, so a planting should combine reliable moisture during establishment with drainage that prevents prolonged saturation. [2]
The same account describes roots extending deeply and suggests that a large container may be possible, but it does not provide a replicated container trial or a measured irrigation schedule. Keep the root zone evenly supplied while young plants establish, then adjust watering to the local wet and dry seasons rather than copying a fixed calendar. [4]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Full sun is recommended in the specialist growing account for fruiting. Start with strong light and good airflow, while protecting a newly planted shrub from abrupt desiccation; no measured shade, humidity or wind threshold is established for the species. [4] The seasonally dry tropical native setting indicates that high atmospheric humidity is not the same as permanently wet soil. [2]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The plant is semi-deciduous and is native to a seasonally dry tropical biome. A specialist account records fruiting from October through January in its growing context, but that window should not be treated as a universal calendar outside the same seasonal regime. [2] [4] Keep young plants from severe drought during active growth, and reduce the risk of waterlogging during wet periods; the packet does not establish a dormancy temperature or a species-wide irrigation schedule.
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed is the documented propagation route. The specialist account notes that insects can damage the seeds, recommends harvesting them as soon as the fruit is mature, washing them and sowing them in a sandy substrate, and records germination after about 60 days when sown in summer. It also records seedlings reaching about 10 cm in eight months and fruiting after two years. These are observations from one growing account, not guaranteed timings under different storage, temperature or provenance conditions. [4]
Because the species is described as dioecious, separate male and female plants should be planned for a fruiting collection rather than assuming that one seedling will be sufficient. No planting ratio or pollen-transfer method is specified. [5] [4]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Cordiera elliptica is described as dioecious, and a Brazilian Cerrado study records flower-bud galls on male inflorescences. This confirms that male plants produce inflorescences, but the study was focused on the associated moth and does not provide a general flowering calendar or pollination recommendation. [5]
The specialist account places fruiting in October–January in its growing context. Harvest is described as immediate at maturity for seed collection; ripe fruit is used fresh and for jelly. Because the fruit is small and thin-skinned, handle it gently after picking. [4]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The ripe fruit is described as sweet and fleshy with many seeds and a thin skin. It is eaten fresh, and one specialist account also records jelly making and a sweet-potato-like flavor. Seediness and flavor may vary among plants, so these details are best used as a practical expectation rather than a cultivar-level guarantee. [3] [4]
Pests and fruit development[edit | edit source]
A 2019 open-access study documented a cecidogenous moth associated with Cordiera elliptica and green spherical galls developing on flower buds, including male inflorescences. The galls should not automatically be mistaken for fruit. The study was an entomology investigation, not a yield-loss or control trial. [5]
A separate 2019 Cerrado field study compared fruits with fly larvae and ants, fruits without ants, and fruits without larvae. Under those study conditions, fruits with larvae and without ants had lower volume and weight, and the larvae negatively influenced plant fitness. This result is conditional on that interaction and site; it does not establish general pest prevalence or a control protocol. [6]