Psidium guineense Sw.

Guinea guava (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Myrtales > Myrtaceae > Psidium

Characteristics

Shrubs usually less than 1 m. high; young twigs compressed to subterete, pubes-cent. Leaves elliptical to oblong, rounded, obtuse or acutish at the apex, obtuse or acute at the base, up to 13 cm. long and 7 cm. broad, chartaceous, pubescent on both sides when young, glabrate except the midrib and veins beneath when adult, the lateral nerves about 7-10 on each side, prominulous to flat above, prominulous beneath, arcuate-anastomosing near the margin; petiole 4-10 mm. long. Peduncles 1-to 3-flowered, 2-3 cm. long, pubescent. Flower buds pubescent, constricted under the calyx, 1.0-1.5 cm. long. Calyx irregularly 4-to 5-fid at anthesis, the segments about 7 mm. long, sericeous within. Petals 5, about 1.5 cm. long. An-thers linear-oblong. Ovary about 5 mm. long, 3-to 5-celled; ovules in a triple row at each side of the 2-lamellate placenta, turned in all directions. Berry sub-globose, about 2 cm. in diameter, yellow.
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Shrub to c. 2.5 m high. Branchlets/young shoots ± terete. Leaves with petiole 4–12 mm long; lamina elliptic to oblong, 7–13 cm long, 3–6 cm wide, rounded at base, obtuse or acute at apex, sparse to dense ± spreading hairs below, ± densely hairy above when young, becoming less hairy with age; lateral veins 6–10 (–12) on each side of midrib, not impressed above, often slightly raised. Flowers solitary or 3 in pedunculate dichasia; peduncles to c. 2.5 cm long. Sepals 5–10 mm long. Petals 10–15 mm long, white. Fruit globose or obovoid, to c. 2.5 cm long; flesh somewhat bitter.
A small shrub or tree. It grows 1-8 m high. The trunk is 2-10 cm across. It has an appearance like a strawberry guava tree. The leaves are opposite and simple. They are 8-10 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. The flowering stalks have 1-3 flowers. The flower stalk is 1-1.5 cm long and large and hairy. The fruit are round or pear shaped but like common guava. They occur singly on new growth. They are 2-3 cm wide. The skin is yellow. The pulp is white and acidic. There are several seeds.
Shrub or tree 1–7 m tall, very similar to the common guava but with leaves 3.5–14 cm long, 2.5–8 cm wide with fewer lateral nerves; fruit round or pear-shaped, 1–2.5 cm wide.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.02 - 0.1
Mature height (meter) 1.0 - 7.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

A tropical plant. It can grow in subtropical regions. It can tolerate some drought. In Bolivia it grows between 200-2,500 m altitude. It can tolerate a variety of soil conditions. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level.
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Recorded from eucalypt woodland on coastal dune, Casuarina woodland on beach front, dry rainforest regrowth on hillside, rainforest remnant on creek bank, eucalypt–Melaleuca open forest on riverbank, and Eucalyptus open forest.
Wet to dry thickets or open forest, often in oak or pine forest, frequently on rocky open hillsides or plains, at elevations up to 2,400 metres, but most common at middle elevations.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Cultivated for its fruit which are eaten raw or used to make jams, preserves etc. The wood is used to make objects and the bark for tanning. The plant has some medicinal uses.
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The fruit is eaten fresh but also used for jellies and preserves. They are also used baked or stewed.
Uses food material medicinal wood
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed, cuttings or air-layering. It can also be grafted.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 21 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Psidium guineense leaf picture by visiones (cc-by-sa)
Psidium guineense leaf picture by visiones (cc-by-sa)
Psidium guineense leaf picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Flower

Psidium guineense flower picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Psidium guineense flower picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Fruit

Psidium guineense fruit picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Psidium guineense fruit picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Psidium guineense fruit picture by Senger Mario (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Psidium guineense world distribution map, present in Angola, Argentina, Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Congo, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, French Guiana, Guam, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, El Salvador, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, and South Africa

Conservation status

Psidium guineense threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:211886-2
WFO ID wfo-0000284428
COL ID 4PFVD
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 447406
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Myrtus guineensis Psidium guineense Psidium laurifolium Psidium lehmannii Psidium minus Psidium ooideum Psidium rotundifolium Psidium rufinervum Psidium sericiflorum Psidium ypanemense Mosiera guineensis Psidium benthamianum Psidium molle Psidium polycarpon Psidium schiedeanum Psidium schippii Psidium araca Campomanesia multiflora Eugenia hauthalii Campomanesia tomentosa Guajava albida Guajava guineensis Guajava mollis Guajava ooidea Guajava polycarpa Guajava schiedeana Guajava ypanemensis Guajava benthamiana Guajava costa-ricensis Guajava hians Guajava laurifolia Guajava multiflora Psidium macrophyllum Guajava ypanemense Psidium albidum Psidium costa-ricense Psidium dichotomum Psidium hians Psidium monticola Psidium multiflorum Psidium ooideum var. longipedunculatum Psidium molle var. gracile Psidium molle var. robustum Psidium monticola var. gracile Psidium monticola var. robustum Psidium ooideum var. grandifolium Psidium ooideum var. intermedium Psidium ooideum var. parvifolium Psidium jollyanum Psidium hians var. truncatum Psidium hians var. cuneatum Myrtus hauthalii