Acerola

Malpighia emarginata

Description:

One glass of juice of this fruit contains about 6,500% of vitamin C.

Habitat:

tropical, subtropical and sometimes in semi-arid areas

Notes:

the leaves of this tree, when touched, produce a sensation of itching on skin. But there is an exact period of the day when it doesn't cause this sensation.

Species ID Suggestions

3 Comments

Rubens Araujo 12 years ago

Acerola mixed with orange juice is my favorite !!!!

gberredo 12 years ago

Yes, fruit turns red... we usually make a juice of it... the sensation is slight, not like an urtica for example. If you try to move the branches and the leaves are in contact if your arms for example you can feel it. In case you don't feel it, maybe it's because this is a different species

ceherzog 12 years ago

I have this plant in my yard...the fruit is yummy, but I have never experienced a sensation when touching the leaves....it's blooming right now in my yard in Sarasota Florida!...maybe I have a different species...not sure of the species name....we call it Barbados Cherry. Does the fruit turn red?