Genipa americana
Encyclopedia
Genipa americana is a species of Genipa
, native to northern South America
(south to Peru
), the Caribbean
and southern Mexico
, growing in rainforest
s. It is commonly called Genipapo or Huito; the alternate name Jagua may refer to other species of Genipa as well. To the Inca, it was known as hawa or wituq. In the British islands of the West Indies, it was called the marmalade box.
It is a small tree
growing to 15 m tall. The leaves
are opposite, lanceolate to oblong, 20–35 cm long and 10–19 cm broad, glossy dark green, with an entire margin. The flower
s are white, yellow or red, with a five-lobed corolla 5–6 cm diameter. The fruit
is a thick-skinned edible berry
5–8 cm diameter.
A number of varieties and form
s have been described:
The leaves are a food source for the caterpillars of the Fadus Sphinx Moth (Aellopos fadus).
, which are made into drinks, jelly, sherbet
and used in ice cream
. It is also said to be useful for treatment of candiru
attacks. South American Indians bathe their legs in the clear liquid obtained from the fruit. The liquid has an astringent
effect. When the liquid oxidizes, it stains the skin black. These stains are permanent, but only color the top few layers of skin, and thus disappear after about a fortnight, when the skin is naturally shed. As South Americans Indians went into battle, they used to paint themselves with Genipa juice and annatto
.
The juice of the immature fruit is clear, but induces a chemical reaction on the human skin resulting in a tattoo-like dark blue. Used by rainforest natives as body-painting color. The ripened fruit of Huito is often eaten raw or made into jam. The fruit is brewed into a tea and taken as a remedy for bronchitis
. Huito prefers alluvial soils, and grows very quickly (producing in 3 years), even in heavily flooded fields. This tree can be planted but more often than not it is dispersed by animals or water. It also serves as a very good climbing tree to reach other trees.
In Puerto Rico
, the fruit is placed in a glass container, refrigerated and used as a tonic. Folklore states that it contains natural glass.
Genipa
The genip-trees , are a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. This genus is closely allied to Gardenia; several Gardenia species were originally placed in Genipa. It is not to be confused with genip , a completely unrelated eudicot. The name is derived from genipapo, the Guianan name...
, native to northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(south to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
), the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, growing in rainforest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
s. It is commonly called Genipapo or Huito; the alternate name Jagua may refer to other species of Genipa as well. To the Inca, it was known as hawa or wituq. In the British islands of the West Indies, it was called the marmalade box.
It is a small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
growing to 15 m tall. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are opposite, lanceolate to oblong, 20–35 cm long and 10–19 cm broad, glossy dark green, with an entire margin. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are white, yellow or red, with a five-lobed corolla 5–6 cm diameter. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a thick-skinned edible berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
5–8 cm diameter.
A number of varieties and form
Form (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, a form is one of the "secondary" taxonomic ranks, below that of variety, which in turn is below that of species; it is an infraspecific taxon...
s have been described:
- Genipa americana var. americana
- Genipa americana var. caruto K.Schum.
- Genipa americana var. riobranquensis Kuhlm.
- Genipa americana f. grandifolia Chodat & Hassl.
- Genipa americana f. jorgensenii Steyerm.
- Genipa americana f. parvifolia Chodat & Hassl.
The leaves are a food source for the caterpillars of the Fadus Sphinx Moth (Aellopos fadus).
Uses
Genipa americana is cultivated for its edible fruitFruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, which are made into drinks, jelly, sherbet
Sherbet
Sherbet may refer to:- Foodstuffs :* Sherbert , an effervescent drink or a fizzy powder sweet, chiefly UK* Sherbert, an American term for a frozen dessert like sorbet, but containing a small amount of dairy...
and used in ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
. It is also said to be useful for treatment of candiru
Candirú
Candiru or candirú , also known as cañero, toothpick fish, or vampire fish, are a number of genera of parasitic freshwater catfish in the family Trichomycteridae; all are native to the Amazon River...
attacks. South American Indians bathe their legs in the clear liquid obtained from the fruit. The liquid has an astringent
Astringent
An astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
effect. When the liquid oxidizes, it stains the skin black. These stains are permanent, but only color the top few layers of skin, and thus disappear after about a fortnight, when the skin is naturally shed. As South Americans Indians went into battle, they used to paint themselves with Genipa juice and annatto
Annatto
Annatto, sometimes called roucou or achiote, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a yellow to orange food coloring and also as a flavoring...
.
The juice of the immature fruit is clear, but induces a chemical reaction on the human skin resulting in a tattoo-like dark blue. Used by rainforest natives as body-painting color. The ripened fruit of Huito is often eaten raw or made into jam. The fruit is brewed into a tea and taken as a remedy for bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
. Huito prefers alluvial soils, and grows very quickly (producing in 3 years), even in heavily flooded fields. This tree can be planted but more often than not it is dispersed by animals or water. It also serves as a very good climbing tree to reach other trees.
In Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the fruit is placed in a glass container, refrigerated and used as a tonic. Folklore states that it contains natural glass.
External links
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Genipa americana
- USDA Plants Profile: Genipa americana
- HTMLized .pdf UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - Market Brief in the European Union for selected natural ingredients derived from native species: Genipa americana, Jagua, huito (accessed 12 March 2006)
- .pdf version of above
- Datasheet from Rainforest Conservation