Common Name: Araca Boi

General Information

Eugenia stipitata is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a densely branched habit and lacking apical dominance; it can grow up to 4.5 metres tall[, , , ].
Although it has a very acid flavour, the fruit is generally highly valued and is often gathered from the wild and is also cultivated in home gardens[, , ]. The plant has been proposed for commercial production, and is often grown as an ornamental[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia.

Habitat

Areas of the rainforest that do not usually become inundated[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist to wet lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 650 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 18 - 34°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 3,500mm, but tolerates 1,500 - 4,000mm[]. It can tolerate a seasonal dry spell of up to 2 months[].
Succeeds in full sun and light shade[]. Prefers a well drained rich loamy soil, but will tolerate poorer clay oxisols, provided they are well drained, and also tolerates acid soil stress[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[]. The plant prefers a well-drained soil, but tolerates limited flooding - though some trees appear to adapt to floods over time[].
A relatively slow-growing plant[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw and made into juices, ice creams and sherbets[, ]. The thick, very succulent pulp is aromatic with an acid flavour[]. The fruit loses its flavour and aroma quickly when cooked, so is best quick-boiled if used for making jam[]. The fruit is around 8cm in diameter[]. It is very high in vitamin C, double the amount of the average orange[]. The fruits bruise easily and don't ship well[].

Medicinal

Some people eat the fruit when unripe in order to eliminate parasites[].

Agroforestry Uses:

This is a small tree whose size and shape allow it to mix well with many tree crops. Some specimens are bushy, while others have an architecture similar to cacao trees[].
Although relatively slow growing, it is a suitable species for rehabilitating exhausted land[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - pre-soaking the seeds in water or peeling them will help germination[].
The seeds lose more than 70% of their viability after 40 days in cold storage[].

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