Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Psidium cattleianum

Common name:	Strawberry Guava	Family:	Myrtaceae
Author:	Sabine.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Psidium littorale longipes ((O.Berg.)McVaugh.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Brazil.
Habitat:	Not known
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Eugenia bahamensis[B,P] Eugenia longipes[B,G,P] Mosiera bahamensis[B,P] Mosiera longipes[B,P] Myrtus bahamensis[B,P] Myrtus verrucosa[B,P] P. cattleianum var. cattleianum[G,P] P. cattleianum var. littorale[B,P] P. coriaceum var. longipes[G] P. littorale[B,P] P. littorale var. littorale[P] P. littorale var. longipes[B,G,P] P. longipes[B,G,P] P. longipes var. longipes[B]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Mangroveberry [B,P], Purple Strawberry Guava [B], Strawberry Guava [P,H],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Myrtle family
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 6m. It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[1, 3, 61]. The fruit can be used in jellies, jams, custards, drinks etc[183]. Sweet and aromatic. The flavour is more pronounced than that of the yellow strawberry guava but lacks the muskiness of the common guava[183]. The fruit has an agreeable acid-sweet flavour and is good when eaten raw[2, 46], though it can also be used in preserves[177]. The fruit is about 4cm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Hedge.

Grown as a hedge in warm temperate climates[200].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained sandy loam with leafmold[1].
Requires cool greenhouse treatment in Britain[1]. Tolerates short-lived light frosts[200] and cool summers[3] so it might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Dislikes much humidity.
Sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[183].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If trying the plants outdoors, plant them out in the summer and give them some protection from winter cold for at least their first two winters.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivars

'John Riley': The large round fruit is 4cm in diameter. The skin is dark red and pebbled, the flesh is cherry red, the flavour excellent. The numerous seeds are small and innocuous[183]. The fruit ripens over an exceptionally long period, from June to January in its native environment[183]. The tree is slow-growing and bushy, it is relatively hardy, having withstood repeated exposure to temperatures of -3° c without damage in California[183].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Psidium littorale longipes (a possible synonym).

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Psidium longipes (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Psidium longipes var. longipes (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

References for the family Myrtaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

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

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Psidium+cattleianum
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Psidium+cattleianum

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.