If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Malpighia emarginata

DC.

Malpighiaceae


There has been some confusion over the correct name for the Barbados cherry, also known as the Acerola. Current thinking seems to be that there are two closely related species, this one and Malpighia glabra. This species is the genuine Barbados cherry that is cultivated for its fruit in Puerto Rico, whilst Malpighia glabra, also known as Barbados cherry or Escobillo, is not the species cultivated in Puerto Rico.

+ Synonyms

Malpighia berteroana Spreng.

Malpighia glabra Hort.

Malpighia lanceolata Griseb.

Malpighia punicifolia Auct.

Malpighia punicifolia lancifolia Nied.

Malpighia punicifolia obovata Nied.

Malpighia punicifolia vulgaris Nied.

Malpighia retusa Benth.

Malpighia umbellata Rose

Malpighia urens lanceolata (Griseb.) Griseb.

Common Name: Acerola

Malpighia emarginata
Fruiting branches of plant in Venezuela
Photograph by: Wilfredo R. Rodríguez H.
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Malpighia emarginata Malpighia emarginata Malpighia emarginata Malpighia emarginata Malpighia emarginata

General Information

Malpighia emarginata is a much-branched evergreen shrub or small tree growing around 2 - 8 metres tall[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
The plant is widely cultivated in tropical areas for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. It is grown especially in Puerto Rico, from where it is exported in quite large quantities as a health juice to the United States. The plant is also used locally as a mediine and is sometimes grown as a hedge.
Malpighia emarginata is the most common Malpighia species in cultivation, and it has been introduced pantropically for the harvest of the fruits, due to its high vitamin C content. The large scale cultivation of the species means that little is known about the population of the species in the wild. The plant is classified as 'Data Deficient' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Southern N. America - Mexico, through central America to Colombia. Naturalized through the Caribbean.

Habitat

Semi-deciduous forest and semi-evergreen forest; at elevations up to 1,000 metres in southern Mexico[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusData Deficient
Edibility Rating *  *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height4.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Malpighia emarginata is a plant mainly of the seasonally dry tropics.
Easily grown in a good soil and a sunny position[
296
Title
Tropical Food Gardens
Publication
 
Author
Norrington. L.
Publisher
Bloomings Books (Melbourne)
Year
2001
ISBN
1-876473-41-x
Description
Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
].
Seedlings can fruit when only 2 - 3 years old, but are not always of as good quality as their parents[
296
Title
Tropical Food Gardens
Publication
 
Author
Norrington. L.
Publisher
Bloomings Books (Melbourne)
Year
2001
ISBN
1-876473-41-x
Description
Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. The bright red fruit can range in flavour from sweet to somewhat acid[
296
Title
Tropical Food Gardens
Publication
 
Author
Norrington. L.
Publisher
Bloomings Books (Melbourne)
Year
2001
ISBN
1-876473-41-x
Description
Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
,
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. As well as being eaten out of hand, they can also be stewed, made into juices, sauces, jellies, jams, wines or purees[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. The fruits are very rich in vitamin C (1 - 4 g per 100 g juice)[
296
Title
Tropical Food Gardens
Publication
 
Author
Norrington. L.
Publisher
Bloomings Books (Melbourne)
Year
2001
ISBN
1-876473-41-x
Description
Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. They are widely used in the preparation of vitamin tablets and other nutritional supplements[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. The juice is added to other juices in order to improve their nutritional value[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. Plants can produce 2 - 3 crops of fruit a year[
296
Title
Tropical Food Gardens
Publication
 
Author
Norrington. L.
Publisher
Bloomings Books (Melbourne)
Year
2001
ISBN
1-876473-41-x
Description
Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
].

Medicinal

Sore throat: The juice from the crushed leaf is diluted in cool water and then gargled as a treatment for sore throat[
2206
Title
Bwa Yo: Important Trees of Haiti
Publication
 
Author
Timyan J.
Publisher
South-East Consortium for International Development; Washington
Year
1996
ISBN
0-9645449-0-3
Description
 
]..

A decoction of the bark is drunk as a treatment for fevers[
2206
Title
Bwa Yo: Important Trees of Haiti
Publication
 
Author
Timyan J.
Publisher
South-East Consortium for International Development; Washington
Year
1996
ISBN
0-9645449-0-3
Description
 
].

The fruit is a rich source of vitamin C. The juice is drunk as a treatment for hepatitis and gastrointestinal disorders[
2206
Title
Bwa Yo: Important Trees of Haiti
Publication
 
Author
Timyan J.
Publisher
South-East Consortium for International Development; Washington
Year
1996
ISBN
0-9645449-0-3
Description
 
].

Agroforestry Uses:

Grown as a hedge[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings - cuttings of half-ripe wood, with entire leaves, in a frame with bottom heat[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Malpighia+emarginata>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.