Common Name:

General Information

Bunchosia nitida is an evergreen tree growing 7 - 15 metres tall. The thin, straight bole can grow up to 20cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, which is consumed locally. The tree also has good potential for use as a pioneer species to re-establish woodlands.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia; Central America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

An understorey tree, normally found along forest edges, open areas in the forest and along the sides of beaches[]. Moist, wet, or rather dry thickets, sometimes in rather open forest, at elevations up to 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. The tree is apparently tolerant of salty environments, given its frequent close proximity to the coast[].
This species is notable for its large annual crops of mealy-textured, red fruits that are sweet and good-tasting when ripe[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Sweet and pleasant tasting, with a mealy texture[]. The red fruits are about 3cm in diameter, with a thin mealy flesh surrounding 2 seeds[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is a good example of a pioneer - or secondary forest - species since it requires large amounts of sunlight in order to prosper and it is one of the first trees to colonize an area after it has been disturbed[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - extremely thin skinned, the seeds germinate rapidly in the wild upon reaching the moist forest floor - usually within two or three weeks[].

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