Editing Syzygium fibrosum

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Small red apple (''Syzygium fibrosum'')
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Syzygium fibrosum'' <sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>
|-
! Genus
| [[Syzygium]]
|-
! Family
| [[Myrtaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Myrtales]]
|}

'''Syzygium fibrosum''' is an Australian and Papuasian rainforest-associated tree in the myrtle family. Its recorded common names include small red apple, fibrous satinash, and apricot satinash. <sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> The accepted name is recorded in the Australian Plant Name Index. <sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Description ==

The species is an understory tree of well-developed rainforest, especially drier seasonal rainforest and gallery forest, from sea level to 450 m. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Reported stature ranges from about 4 m in a Cairns-campus description to usually 6–10 m and occasionally 15 m in a compiled tropical-plant treatment. <sup id="cite_ref-4">[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> <sup id="cite_ref-5">[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

Leaves are opposite, about 6–11 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, with numerous oil dots. Flowers are clustered and have numerous cream stamens reaching about 25 mm. <sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> The fleshy fruit is globular to globular-depressed, dark pink to red, and reaches about 1.6 × 2.1 cm in the Cairns-campus description; the rainforest account also describes bright pink or red fruit produced in profusion. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> <sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

As a Syzygium associated with well-developed rainforest, drier seasonal rainforest, and gallery forest, it is reasonable to begin with organic-rich, moisture-retentive soil that drains freely after rain. This is a habitat-based inference rather than a species-tested pH or irrigation schedule; avoid both prolonged saturation and repeated severe drying while establishing the tree. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Sun and humidity ===

A broad horticultural treatment records success in full sun and moderate shade. A cautious starting point is bright light with protection from harsh drying conditions during establishment, while maintaining airflow in humid weather. The reported sun range is account-level guidance, not a fixed tolerance limit. <sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup> <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Seasonal changes ===

The native setting includes drier seasonal rainforest as well as gallery forest. It is reasonable to adjust irrigation with the local wet–dry cycle: maintain more consistent moisture during active warm growth, then reduce frequency only as evaporation and growth slow, while preserving drainage. This is a cultivation inference; no fixed seasonal schedule should be treated as a species fact. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Propagation ==

No fixed propagation schedule is given for this species, including for seed handling, cuttings, grafting, or rootstock choice. A method or schedule from another ''Syzygium'' should not be treated as a ''Syzygium fibrosum'' fact. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> <sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Flowers are clustered, with numerous cream stamens reaching about 25 mm. The fruit is described as dark pink to red, globular to globular-depressed, and up to about 1.6 × 2.1 cm in one institutional description; another account records bright pink or red fruit in profusion. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> <sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> Dark-pink to red color is a documented fruit description, but it should not be treated as a complete ripeness or harvest index; bearing age and harvest window remain without a species-specific value in these records.

== Fruit and uses ==

The fleshy fruit has been reported in local food use, including jam and tarts, and a compiled tropical-plant treatment records harvesting the species from the wild for local food. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> <sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup> These use records do not establish general food safety, toxicity status, or a preparation recommendation for unidentified fruit. Confirm the identification before considering consumption.

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Syzygium%20fibrosum GBIF species match: Syzygium fibrosum].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/syzygium_fibrosum.htm Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants: Syzygium fibrosum].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/64678 Australian Plant Name Index: Syzygium fibrosum].

* <span id="cite_note-4"></span>[[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://www.jcu.edu.au/discover-nature-at-jcu/plants/plants-on-cairns-campus/syzygium-fibrosum Syzygium fibrosum | Discover Nature at JCU].

* <span id="cite_note-5"></span>[[#cite_ref-5|↑]] '''[5]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Syzygium+fibrosum Syzygium fibrosum - Useful Tropical Plants].