Editing Eugenia dysenterica

{| class="wikitable"
! Scientific name
| ''Eugenia dysenterica''<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>
|-
! Common names
| cagaita; cagaiteira<sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>
|-
! Genus
| [[Eugenia]]
|-
! Family
| [[Myrtaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Myrtales]]
|-
! Native range
| Brazilian Cerrado<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
! Habit
| Deciduous tree, about 4–10 m tall<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>
|-
! Fruit
| Yellow-orange berries, about 2–3 cm across and 6–14 g<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
! Flowering
| August–September<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
! Ripening
| Mainly September–December<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|}

''Eugenia dysenterica'', commonly called cagaita or cagaiteira, is a deciduous fruit tree of the Brazilian Cerrado. It forms a dense crown and has corky bark; the fragrant white flowers precede yellow-orange fruit. The species is associated with warm Cerrado sites, with reported occurrences from about 380 to 1,100 m and typical temperatures around 21–25 °C.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Description ==

Cagaita is a small to medium tree, usually reported at roughly 4–10 m when mature. The crown is dense and the bark corky. Flowers are white and fragrant. The fruit is a yellow-orange berry with sweet-sour, slightly astringent pulp; reported fruit size is about 2–3 cm and 6–14 g.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

For nursery establishment, a species-specific trial found strong seedling growth in a medium of soil, forest soil and vermiculite mixed 1:1:2. The result applies to the tested seedling system, not as a universal field-soil prescription. Thermophosphate improved growth in that experiment, so fertilizer rates should not be copied outside comparable conditions without local testing.<sup id="cite_ref-4">[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup>

A second seedling experiment likewise found the soil, forest humus and vermiculite mixture favorable for above- and below-ground biomass. Its larger containers produced better growth than the smaller volumes tested, making container volume an important nursery variable when raising planting stock.<sup id="cite_ref-5">[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

=== Sun and humidity ===

A warm, bright growing position is a reasonable starting point for cultivation, but the reported climate figures should not be read as a published minimum-temperature or hardiness threshold.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Seasonal changes ===

White flowering is reported mainly in August and September, followed by fruit ripening mainly from September through December. Other accounts place fruiting around the transition into the rainy season, so the timing is best treated as a seasonal indicator rather than a fixed calendar.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Propagation ==

Species-specific nursery experiments provide the clearest propagation guidance. One trial compared 50, 120 and 228 cm³ tubes and found the soil, forest soil and vermiculite medium, with or without thermophosphate, favorable for height and diameter growth. At 540 days, field survival ranged from 76% to 100%; mean seedlings reached 46.267 cm in height and 0.637 cm in diameter under the reported conditions. The diameter was considered suitable for grafting in that study, not a universal grafting threshold.<sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup>

A separate experiment using the same container volumes found that larger containers improved growth, while seedlings had not reached grafting diameter at 160 days. Grafting timing therefore depends on container volume and growing conditions; use plant size and vigor rather than a calendar date.<sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Flowering is reported in August and September, with white fragrant flowers. Yellow-orange berries generally ripen from September through December, although the fruiting period follows local Cerrado conditions and the seasonal transition into rain.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

Ripe fruit is short-lived in storage. Harvest and processing should therefore be coordinated closely, especially where fruit is being gathered for fresh eating, juice or preserves.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-6">[[#cite_note-6|[6]]]</sup>

== Fruit and uses ==

The pulp is sweet-sour and slightly astringent. Ripe cagaita is eaten fresh and used for juices, sweets, jams, beverages and sherbets. Eating large quantities may have a laxative effect, so the fruit should not be presented as a medicinal treatment or consumed in excess.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5417055 GBIF species record: Eugenia dysenterica].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenia_dysenterica Eugenia dysenterica - Wikipedia].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Eugenia+dysenterica Eugenia dysenterica - Useful Tropical Plants].

* <span id="cite_note-4"></span>[[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://www.scielo.br/j/rbf/a/YqPnKzgNpw4KTpKTPyjPyQK/?lang=pt&format=pdf CRESCIMENTO E SOBREVIVÊNCIA DE MUDAS DE CAGAITEIRA (Eugenia dysenterica DC) NAS CONDIÇÕES DO CERRADO].

* <span id="cite_note-5"></span>[[#cite_ref-5|↑]] '''[5]''' [https://revistas.ufg.br/pat/article/view/2467/2436 EMERGÊNCIA E CRESCIMENTO DE CAGAITA (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) EM FUNÇÃO DO TIPO E DO VOLUME DE SUBSTRATOS].

* <span id="cite_note-6"></span>[[#cite_ref-6|↑]] '''[6]''' [https://www.infoteca.cnptia.embrapa.br/infoteca/handle/doc/549892?mode=full Frutas nativas dos cerrados].

[[Category:Eugenia]]
[[Category:Myrtaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]