acerola

 

(ăs'ərō'lə) or barbados cherry, the edible fruit of Malpighia glabra, of the genera Bunchiosa and Malpighia of the family Malpighiaceae. The fleshy red stone fruits, about the size of a cherry, contain very high amounts of vitamin C and are eaten fresh, used to make jams and jellies, and are an important commercial source of natural vitamin C. Acerola is often cultivated as an ornamental shrub, particularly in the southeastern United States. Acerola is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Polygalales, family Malpighiaceae.

Acerola
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Malpighiaceae Genus: Malpighia Species: M. glabra
Binomial name
Malpighia glabra L.

Acerola (Malpighia glabra), also known as Barbados cherry or wild crapemyrtle, is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae, native to the West Indies and northern South America and also cultivated in India. It grows to 3 m tall, with a dense, thorny crown. The leaves are evergreen, simple ovate-lanceolate, 5-10 cm long, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in umbels of 2-5 together, each flower 1-1.5 cm diameter, with five pink or red petals.

The fruit is bright red, 1.5-2 cm diameter, containing 2-3 hard seeds. It is juicy, often as much sour as sweet in flavor, and very high in vitamin C and other nutrients.

Cultivation and uses

The fruit is edible and widely consumed in the species' native area, and is cultivated elsewhere for its high vitamin C content.

In the 1950s, a manufacturer of baby food decided that apple juice was milder for infants than orange juice. The company claimed that a drop of acerola juice in an 8 oz. can of apple juice provided the amount of vitamin C of an equal amount of orange juice. ^{[citation needed]}

In Puerto Rico, the acerola is so prized that custom officials exercise considerable precaution to prevent exporting of acerola cuttings.

External links

• University of Florida: Acerola
• Columbia Encyclopedia entry on Acerola

Donate to Wikimedia