Eugenia uniflora
(Surinam cherry)

Preferred Common Name

• Surinam cherry

Other Scientific Names

• Eugenia brasiliana (L.) Aubl.
• Eugenia costata Cambess.
• Eugenia indica Nicheli
• Eugenia lacustris Barb. Rodr.
• Eugenia michelii Lam.
• Eugenia microphylla Barb. Rodr.
• Eugenia myrtifolia Salisb.
• Eugenia parkeriana DC.
• Myrtus brasiliana L.
• Plinia pendunculata L.f.
• Plinia rubra L.
• Stenocalyx affinis O. Berg
• Stenocalyx brunneus O. Berg
• Stenocalyx dasyblastus O. Berg
• Stenocalyx glaber O. Berg
• Stenocalyx impunctatus O. Berg
• Stenocalyx lucidus O. Berg
• Stenocalyx michelii (Lam.) O. Berg
• Stenocalyx nhampiri Barb. Rodr.
• Stenocalyx strigosus O. Berg
• Stenocalyx uniflorus (L.) Kausel

International Common Names

• English: Barbados cherry; Brazil cherry; cayenne cherry; Florida cherry; French cherry; pitanga; red Brazil cherry
• Spanish: cerezo de cayena; pitanga
• French: cerise cotelée; cerise créole; cerise de cayenne; cerisier carré; cerisier de cayenne; roussaille
• Portuguese: ginja; pitanga do notre

Local Common Names

• Argentina: nagapiry; nangapiri
• Brazil: pitanga; pitanga mulata; pitanga roxa; pitanga-da-praia; pitangueira vermelha; vermelha
• China: hong guo zi
• Colombia: cereza quadrada
• Cook Islands: menemene; venevene
• El Salvador: guinda
• Germany: Cayennekirsche; Pitanga; Surinam Kirschmyrte; Surinamkirsche
• Guadeloupe: cerese a cotes; cerese-cotes
• Indonesia: ceremai belanda; dewandaru
• Netherlands: kerseboom, Surinaamse
• Niue: kafika; kafika papalangi; karifa palangi
• Samoa: vine
• Suriname: monkie monkie kirsie; Surinaamsche kersh; zoete kers
• Sweden: korsbarsmyrten
• Thailand: mayom-farang
• Tonga: pomikanite
• Venezuela: pendanga

EPPO code

• EUEUN (Eugenia uniflora)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Myrtales
•                         Family: Lithomyrtus
•                             Genus: Eugenia
•                                 Species: Eugenia uniflora

Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) is the most widely known of the many species of Eugenia that have edible fruit. E. uniflora is named Surinam cherry, pitanga, Brazilian cherry and Florida cherry in English. Pitanga, the name given by the Tupi Indians, is used in Brazil. Many synonyms exist for Eugenia uniflora L. in the older literature and include Stenocalyx michelii Berg, Stenocalyx lucidus O. Berg, Eugenia costata Cambess., Myrtus brasiliana L., Eugenia michelii Lam. and Plinia rubra Veil (Duarte and Paull, 2015).

A number of edible small fruits of limited commercial importance occur within the genus Eugenia including Eugenia uvalha Camb. (ubaia), Eugenia aggregata Kiaersk (cherry of the Rio Grande), Eugenia dombeyi Skeels (grumichama) and Eugenia luschnathiana Klotzsch (pitomba) (Martin et al., 1987). All of these related species are native to Brazil and are distributed to some extent throughout tropical America (Janick and Paull, 2008).

General description

E. uniflora is an evergreen shrub 2-4 m tall or a small, multi-trunked tree to 7 m, occasionally to 10 m depending on site, with spreading, slender, sometimes crooked branches.

Leaves

Young leaves are notably pink to bronze or dark red, turning shiny dark green above, paler below when mature but turning red in cold, dry weather. Leaves are opposite, simple, ovate or narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 2.5-6(-8) cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, with 7-9 pairs of lateral veins and margins entire or slightly and irregularly wavy. Leaf bases are rounded or slightly cordate, apex obtuse to shortly acuminate, glabrous, glossy, and pellucidly dotted. Petioles are 1-3 mm long.

Flowers

Flowers are creamy white, fragrant, (1-)1.5-3 cm across, solitary or in clusters of 2-3(-4) at leaf axils, with slender peduncles, small bracts, a 4-lobed tubular calyx, 8-ribbed, with lobes 3-4 mm long, petals 4, white, thin, obovate and fugacious, with about 50-60 prominent white stamens with yellow anthers, 0.7-1.1 cm long, with a slightly ridged ovary.). Flowering occurs on the previous season’s growth or the basal part of the current season’s shoots (Verheij and Coronel, 1992, Janick and Paull, 2008).

Fruit

The fruit is a succulent, pendulous berry, 2-4 cm in diameter, depressed-globose, conspicuously 8-ribbed, commonly containing 1-3 seeds, though it can have a single large seed or up to 7 small seeds. When mature, the fruit turns from green to yellow then orange and finally a dark red to wine-red or dark purplish-maroon when ripe. The peel is very thin and delicate. The pulp, the same colour as the peel, is aromatic, juicy and sweet or sour-sweet, and often has a resinous flavour that is not so appealing. The pulp represents about 60-65% of the total weight. The time from anthesis to ripening is around 40 days and overripe fruit will drop fairly soon after the full-ripe stage (Villachica et al., 1996). Birds and mammals disperse the seeds (Duarte and Paull, 2015).

Being seen as a valuable fruit tree, it was introduced from its native range early on in colonial history, and there are several detailed accounts of its introduction and spread that are of interest.

An undated report by the Government of Bermuda (2014) stated that E. uniflora was listed in an 1790 account of the produce grown in Bermuda and therefore it must have been introduced before this date. A mature tree was also listed in an inventory of trees in Orange Valley, Devonshire, Bermuda in 1840. E. uniflora naturalized quickly, spreading slowing from gardens into surrounding forest until 1900 when starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) arrived in Bermuda. The seed in the centre of the fruit is more than 1 cm in diameter which meant that the smaller native birds could not swallow them; however, the larger starling could eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Then, when much of the island’s native cedar forest was denuded following an epidemic of cedar scale in the 1940s, E. uniflora began to dominate large areas of cleared land. Its spread in Bermuda was then further accelerated in 1957 by the introduction of another large bird, the great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus).

In Florida, USA, E. uniflora was introduced as a fruit tree, an ornamental and a hedge tree before 1931, being widely planted in central and south Florida. It was noted by several authors as escaping cultivation and invading hammocks in these areas 40 years later, as early as 1971 (Langeland and Burks, 1998), becoming a target of eradication by park managers by 1995.

It was first reported to have been introduced to Israel in 1922 (Morton, 1987). It was also reported as introduced elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin including southern Europe and northern Africa (Morton, 1987), though records from such countries are very rare. 

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• heavy
• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• saline
• shallow
• sodic

Most local distribution of E. uniflora is by birds spreading the seeds after eating the sweet, bright-coloured and attractive fruits. Plants are visited daily by birds during the fruiting season, and the fruits are probably also eaten by small mammals (Langeland and Burks, 1998).

Long distance movement of E. uniflora is through the intentional introduction of trees, for its fruit and for its use as an ornamental species. It has also been identified as a potential seed contaminant (USDA-ARS, 2013).

In the early 1990s, the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association (FNGA) and the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) asked nurseries to stop the production of 45 potentially invasive plant species that were relatively insignificant in the ornamental horticulture market (Wirth et al., 2004). E. uniflora was not included as it was one of 14 additional species designated as invasive by the FLEPPC, but which the nurseries wanted to continue production of for their high economic value as they are highly ornamental and very widely used in landscaping. A survey indicated that incomes to nurseries of these 14 species across Florida were estimated at US$45 million in 2001, with $34 million from in-state sales and $11 million from sales to out-of-state markets (Wirth et al., 2004). These sales were estimated to translate into combined economic output impacts of $59 million and employment impacts of 800 jobs for Florida's economy. However, it was argued that these estimated impacts should not be seen as equal to the expected loss if these species were phased out, because if one species is not available consumers are likely to buy another species (Wirth et al., 2004).

Despite this intervention, by the late 1990s E. uniflora was still commonly used in gardens in Florida, particularly as a tree or shrub for hedging (Langeland and Burks, 1998).

As a fruit tree, E. uniflora is either planted at spacings of 3-4 m, or in rows 5 m apart and 1-2 m between plants within the row (Rifai, 1992). Plants are most productive if left unpruned for a number of years, and fruiting is promoted by application of fertilizers and fruit development responds positively to irrigation (Rifai, 1992).

E. uniflora forms dense thickets that displace native plants and prevents their regeneration, replacing native species, reducing the amount of light that reaches the forest floor, and changing the micro-environment of invaded habitats (Biosecurity Queensland, 2011; PIER, 2013).

Stricker and Stiling (2013) found that the emergence, survival and growth of E. uniflora seedlings in Florida, USA, was higher than that of two native Eugenia species, supporting predictions that invasive E. uniflora may possess a competitive advantage. Their study also suggested that measurements of such traits may be useful in determining the likelihood of invasion by newly introduced woody plant species (Stricker and Stiling, 2013).

When bruised, crushed or cut, the leaves and branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, which can cause respiratory discomfort in susceptible individuals.

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Pioneering in disturbed areas
• Tolerant of shade
• Highly mobile locally
• Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Has high reproductive potential
• Has high genetic variability

• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Increases vulnerability to invasions
• Modification of successional patterns
• Monoculture formation
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Pest and disease transmission
• Interaction with other invasive species
• Rapid growth

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
• Highly likely to be transported internationally illegally
• Difficult to identify/detect as a commodity contaminant
• Difficult/costly to control

E. uniflora is mainly grown for its edible fruit which is consumed fresh or conserved as jam, a relish or by pickling in vinegar. Fruit flesh contains 0.8-1% protein, 0.4-0.8% fat, 8-12% carbohydrates, 0.3-0.6% fibre, and 0.3-0.5% ash. The vitamin C content is 20-30 mg/100 g and the energy value is 190 kJ/100 g (Rifai, 1992). Fruit juice is 85-90% water but due to the sugar content it can be fermented into a wine, which can then also be processed into vinegar. Furthermore, in Brazil, the fermented juice is also sometimes distilled to produce an alcoholic spirit (Rifai, 1992). The uses, economic and nutritional value and health benefits of E. uniflora fruit, postharvest physiology and handling practices, quality control and processing are described in detail by Vizzotto et al. (2011).

Plant parts also have a number of other more minor uses. The bark contains 20-28% tannin and can be processed and used to treat leather.

A strong-smelling essential oil is obtained from crushing and distilling the foliage, containing citronellal, geranyl acetate, geraniol, cineole, terpinene, sesquiterpenes and polyterpenes. This has antihypertensive antidiabetic, antitumor, analgesic and insect repellent properties (Rifai, 1992). It has shown antiviral and antifungal activity against microorganisms such as Trichomonas gallinae, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania amazonensis.

Plant extracts also show significant anti-inflammatory properties, and are used extensively as a folk remedy in South America against stomach diseases. Various uses in traditional medicine have been reported (Rifai, 1992). A leaf infusion is used in Brazil and Surinam as a stomachic, febrifuge and astringent, in Java the fruits are used to reduce blood pressure. Seeds are extremely resinous and toxic and can be used as a poison.

The characteristic 8-lobed ‘mini-pumpkin’-like and bright-coloured fruit add to making E. uniflora a popular ornamental in suitable climates. It is also commonly used as a hedge, because plants become densely branched when regularly trimmed. It is also planted as a boundary tree, barrier or support (Rifai, 1992).