Gustavia speciosa Dc.

A tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. The crown is dense and oval. The trunk is 30-40 cm across. The leaves are narrowly oval. They are 2-44 cm long by 6-10 cm wide. The flowers usually have 4 rounded lobes. The fruit are round and 4-6 cm across. They are yellow. They contain 1-4 seeds in a fleshy yellow pulp.

A subcanopy tree in the Amazon rainforest, in both the dense, primary forest and also in areas of advanced secondary growth; usually in areas subject to seasonal inundation.

CAUTION: The fruit affects the colour of the skin. The flesh of the fruit is eaten raw or cooked with meat and rice.

Plants are grown from seeds. They are collected from ripe fruit. The fruit are often allowed to rot in a heap of put in a plastic bag to make it easy to remove the flesh off the seeds. The seeds are washed then planted fresh. They are best put in light shade. Seedlings emerge in 20-35 days.