2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Genipa (lat. Genipa americana) - a fruit tree belonging to the Madder family.
Description
Genipa is a woody, deciduous plant, the height of which ranges from eighteen to thirty-three meters.
Oval genipa leaves slightly serrated along the edges. They are four to thirteen centimeters wide and ten to thirty-three centimeters long. In the very center of each leaf, the main vein is clearly distinguished, painted in whitish tones.
The diameter of rather large yellow, red or white genipa flowers is about five to six centimeters. All flowers are endowed with five identical petals.
Oval genipa fruits reach a length of nine to fifteen centimeters, and a width of seven to nine centimeters. All fruits are endowed with a rather thick peel, and their fragrant and sweet cream-colored pulp gradually turns yellow upon contact with air. The British, who first tasted the genipa, began to call it a "marmalade box".
Where grows
The homeland of the genipa is the islands of the Caribbean archipelago, as well as the northern part of South America, Central America and the southern part of North America. In addition, this culture has long been cultivated in the Philippines. It is noteworthy that it is impossible to meet a genipa at an altitude of more than a thousand meters above sea level.
Application
Genipa fruits are suitable for eating only when overripe - only in this case they are soft enough. However, most often these fruits are used to prepare jam, jams, preserves, as well as compotes and juices. They are also added to ice cream and sherbet.
In Puerto Rico, genipa fruits are cut, then poured over with water and allowed to wander. As soon as the fermentation process begins, various flavors are added to the composition. This infusion perfectly tones the body and perfectly quenches thirst.
Genipa compote is an excellent expectorant for tonsillitis, bronchitis and colds. And due to the high content of ascorbic acid, phosphorus and calcium, these fruits have a rejuvenating effect and have a general strengthening effect. The juice of these fruits has a diuretic effect, and locals often use them as a remedy for getting rid of worms (helminths) and jaundice.
A decoction of genipa bark and its unripe fruits are used in Central American countries as a means of traditional medicine - with their help, venereal diseases and pharyngitis are treated. In addition, a decoction of the roots is a fairly strong laxative. And since the bark contains a fairly large amount of tannin, it perfectly helps in the treatment of infectious skin diseases. If you slightly cut the bark, a sweet, whitish resin will begin to stand out from it, which has a powerful disinfectant effect. This resin is diluted with water and washed with the resulting composition of the eye.
The juice of genipa leaves is quite actively used in the countries of Central America as an antipyretic agent. For the same purpose, a decoction of flowers can also be used, moreover, it perfectly tones the body.
Unripe genipy fruits are often used when fishing as bait that attracts aquatic inhabitants. And the juice of unripe fruits is very quickly oxidized in the air, turning into dark blue tones. This property makes it possible to obtain from it a dye used by American Indians for applying underwear designs. By the way, this paint has a fairly high durability - it is not washed off for fifteen to twenty days.
Growing
The genipa grows very quickly - when it reaches the age of three, it is already possible to harvest the first crop. In most cases, it bears fruit once a year, but there are also varieties that yield year-round crops. This crop tolerates waterlogging very easily and prefers temporarily flooded (alluvial) soils.
And the genipa is very thermophilic - even with the slightest frost, it dies almost immediately.
