Publication
from Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0
by C. Orwa, A. Mutua, R. Kindt, R. Jamnadass and S. Anthony
Syzygium
jambo Alston
Local Names:
English
(plum rose, rose apple, malabar plum), Filipino (yambo), French
(jamboisie, jambo, pomme rose, pommier rose, pommier rose jambosier),
Indonesian (jambu kraton,jambu air mawar), Khmer (châm'puu), Lao
(Sino-Tibetan) (chièng, kièng), Portuguese (jambo amar)
Family:
Myrtaceae
Botanic
Description
Syzygium
jambos may be
merely a shrub but is generally a tree reaching 7.5-12 m in height, and
has a dense crown of slender, wide-spreading branches, often the
overall width exceeding the height.
The evergreen leaves are
opposite, lanceolate or narrow-elliptic, tapering to a point, 10-22 cm
long, and 2.5-6.25 cm wide; somewhat leathery, glossy, dark-green when
mature, rosy when young.
The flowers are creamy-white or
greenish-white, 5-10 cm wide, consisting mostly of about 300
conspicuous stamens to 4 cm long, a 4-lobed calyx, and 4
greenish-white, concave petals. There are usually 4 or 5 flowers
together in terminal clusters.
Capped with the prominent, green,
tough calyx, the fruit is nearly round, oval, or slightly pear-shaped,
4-5 cm long, with smooth, thin, pale-yellow or whitish skin, sometimes
pink-blushed, covering a crisp, mealy, dry to juicy layer of yellowish
flesh, sweet and resembling the scent of a rose in flavour.
In
the hollow center of the fruit, are 1-4 brown, rough-coated,
medium-hard, more or less rounded seeds, 1-1.6 cm thick, which loosen
from the inner wall and rattle when the fruit is shaken. Fragments of
the seed coat may be found in the cavity.
The generic name is
derived from the Greek syzygios (paired), on account of the leaves and
twigs that in several species grow at the same point.
Biology
Fruiting can be
expected within 4 years. In Jamaica and Puerto Rico, the rose apple
trees bloom and fruit sporadically nearly all the year round, though
somewhat less in summer than at other times. The main season in the
Bahamas and in Florida is May through July. The fruiting period varies
in different parts of India. In South India, blooming usually occurs in
January, with fruit ripening in March and April, whereas in the
Circars, ripening takes place in April and May. In the central part of
the country, flowering occurs in February, March and April and the
fruits ripen from June through July. Then again, it is reported that
there are varieties that produce fruit in February and March.
Ecology
The rose apple
flourishes in the tropical and near-tropical climates only. In Jamaica,
it is naturalized from near sea-level up to an altitude of 915 m; in
Hawaii, from sea-level to 1 200 m. In India, it ranges up to 350 m, in
Ecuador, to 2 300 m. At the upper limits, as in California, the tree
grows vigorously but will not bear fruit. In India, it does best on the
banks of canals and streams and yet tolerates semi-arid conditions.
Prolonged dry spells, however, are detrimental.
Biophysical
Limits
Altitude: 0-2300 m
Mean annual temperature: 18-27 deg. C
Mean annual rainfall: 1 100- 2 100 mm
Soil
type: A deep, loamy soil is considered ideal for the rose apple but it
is not too exacting, for it flourishes also on sand and limestone with
very little organic matter.
Documented
Species Distribution
Native:
Guatemala, Honduras, Malaysia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (US)
Exotic: Australia, Fiji,
Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Reunion, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Province of China,
Thailand, Tonga, United States of America, Zanzibar
The
map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does
neither suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological
zone within that country, nor that the species can not be planted in
other countries than those depicted. Since some tree species are
invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to your
planting site.
Products
Food:
Around the tropical
world, rose apples are mostly eaten out-of-hand by children. They are
seldom marketed. In the home, they are sometimes stewed with some sugar
and served as dessert. Culinary experimenters have devised other modes
of using the cup-like halved fruits. One stuffs them with a
rice-and-meat mixture, covers them with a tomato sauce seasoned with
minced garlic, and bakes them for about 20 minutes. Possible variations
are limitless. The fruit is made into jam or jelly with lemon juice
added, or more frequently preserved in combination with other fruits of
more pronounced flavour. It is also made into a syrup for use as a
sauce or to flavour cold drinks. In Jamaica, the halved or sliced
fruits are candied by stewing them in very heavy sugar syrup with
cinnamon.
Apiculture:
The flowers are a rich source of nectar for honeybees and the honey is
a good amber colour. Much comes from the San Cristobal River Valley in
Cuba.
Fuel:
The tree grows back
rapidly after cutting to a stump and consequently yields a continuous
supply of small wood for fuel. Rose apple wood makes very good charcoal.
Fiber:
The flexible branches
have been employed in Puerto Rico to make hoops for large sugar casks,
and also are valued for weaving large baskets.
Timber:
The sapwood is white.
The heartwood is dark-red or brown, fibrous, close-grained,
medium-heavy to heavy, strong; and has been used to make furniture,
spokes for wheels, arms for easy chairs, knees for all kinds of boats,
beams for construction, frames for musical instruments (violins,
guitars, etc.), and packing cases. It is also popular for general
turnery. It is not durable in the ground and is prone to attack by dry
wood termites.
Tannin or
dyestuff: The bark has been used for tanning and yields a
brown dye.
Essential oil:
A yellow
essential oil, distilled from the leaves, contains, among other
properties, 26.84% dl-a-pinene and 23.84% l-limonene, and can be
resorted to as a source of these elements for use in the perfume
industry.
Poison:
The seeds are said to
be poisonous. An unknown amount of hydrocyanic acid has been reported
in the roots, stems and leaves. An alkaloid, jambosine, has been found
in the bark of the tree and of the roots, and the roots are considered
poisonous.
Medicine:
In India, the fruit
is regarded as a tonic for the brain and liver. An infusion of the
fruit acts as a diuretic. A sweetened preparation of the flowers is
believed to reduce fever. The seeds are employed against diarrhoea,
dysentery and catarrh. In Nicaragua, it has been claimed that an
infusion of roasted, powdered seeds is beneficial to diabetics. They
say in Colombia that the seeds have an anesthetic property. The leaf
decoction is applied to sore eyes, also serves as a diuretic and
expectorant and treatment for rheumatism. The juice of macerated leaves
is taken as a febrifuge. Powdered leaves have been rubbed on the bodies
of smallpox patients for the cooling effect. The bark contains 7-12.4%
tannin. It is emetic and cathartic. The decoction is administered to
relieve asthma, bronchitis and hoarseness. Cuban people believe that
the root is an effective remedy for epilepsy.
Services
Ornamental:
In Israel for instance, rose apple is of interest as an ornamental
rather than as a fruit and in California, it is planted as far north as
San Francisco for its ornamental foliage and flowers. The showy
cream-coloured flowers, dark- green foliage, and moderate size
contribute to its popularity.
Boundary or barrier or
support:
In Guatemala, the tree may be planted as a living fence post or in
hedgerows around coffee plantations. For this purpose, it is
drastically pruned to promote dense growth.
Tree
Management
Rarely do
rose apple trees receive any cultural attention. Some experimental work
has shown that seedless, thick- fleshed fruits can be produced by
treating opened flowers with growth regulators–naphthoxy acetic acid
(NOA), 2,4,5-T, or naphthalene acetic acid.
In India, a mature rose
apple tree is said to yield 2 kg of fruit each season. The fruits are,
of course, very light in weight because they are hollow, but this is a
very small return for a tree that occupies so much space.
Germplasm
Management
Rose
apples bruise easily and are highly perishable. They must be freshly
picked to be crisp. Some studies of respiration rate and ethylene
production in storage have been made in Hawaii. The fruit is
non-climacteric.
Pests and
Diseases
The rose
apple tree has few insect enemies. In humid climates, the leaves are
often coated with sooty mold growing on the honeydew excreted by
aphids. They are also prone to leaf spot caused by Cercospora sp., Gloeosporium sp.,
and Phyllosticta
eugeniae; algal leaf spot (Cephaleuros virescens);
black leaf spot (Asterinella
puiggarii); and anthracnose (Glomerella cingulata).
Root rot caused by Fusarium
sp., and mushroom root rot (Armillariella
tabescens) attack the tree.
Further
Reading
Crane E, Walker P. 1984. Pollination directory for world crops.
International Bee Research Association, London, UK.
Francis JK. 1990. Syzygium
jambos (L.) Alston. SO-ITF-SM-26. Rio Piedras, Institute
of Tropical Forestry.
Streets RJ. 1962. Exotic forest trees in the British Commonwealth.
Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Troup RS. 1975. The silviculture of Indian trees. ed. 2, vol. 1.
Government of India.
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