2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Pitomba (lat. Eugenia luschnathiana) Is a slow-growing evergreen fruit tree belonging to the Myrtle family.
Description
Pitomba is a tree with a height of six to nine meters, equipped with slightly wavy shiny lanceolate or oval leaves. From above, they are painted in dark green tones, and their lower sides are distinguished by an unprecedented pallor. In length, the leaves can grow from two and a half to seven and a half centimeters. Each leaf is attached to a very short petiole.
Miniature petit flowers form branched apical inflorescences and often reach a length of thirty centimeters. It is noteworthy that the fruits from all inflorescences always ripen at the same time.
The oval fruits of petitba, ranging in size from 2, 5 to 3, 2 cm, are endowed with a delicate and very thin orange-yellow skin, as well as fragrant, juicy and very soft golden-yellow pulp. And in the central cavity of each fruit, you can see rather large brownish-reddish seeds in the amount of one to four pieces. Each seed, which has one or two white nucleoli, occupies the seed nest almost entirely and is surrounded by a glassy white, juicy and soft aryllus, the thickness of which can be up to 5 mm. Each arillus is firmly attached to the seed coat and has a sour taste and a very distinctive aroma. By the way, in its consistency, as well as in color, the pitbata is very similar to an apricot.
The average lifespan of each pitbaby tree is sixty years. And the trees begin to bear fruit immediately, as soon as their height reaches one meter. As a rule, in tropical conditions, fruits ripen in November.
Where grows
Pitomba is a plant native to southern Brazil. It is in this country that it is mainly cultivated now. However, this culture is no less popular in Bolivia and Paraguay. As for all other countries, little is known about the pet.
As a rule, ripe pets are not exported outside the countries where they were grown - this is due to the fact that they are very difficult to transport and have a rather short shelf life. That is why the pet is exported either canned or unripe.
Application
Most often, petitba is used for the preparation of carbonated drinks, as well as canned food, jams, jellies, juices and preserves. However, it is quite possible to eat it raw. Some gourmets suck it right off the bone, like candy. And the arillus of ripe fruit is processed into juice.
Petit juice is very useful - it is distinguished by the content of an impressive amount of various microelements and vitamins. This fruit is also good because its calorie content is relatively low - every 100 g of fruit contains only 60 kcal.
And the evergreen leaves of petitba, which have a rather unusual shape, make it possible to use trees for decorative purposes.
Growing and caring
Pitomba grows well in tropical climates on low-lying plains. This culture is usually not very demanding on soils (it grows very well even on acidified poor soils), but it is very light-requiring and needs abundant watering. And also a thermophilic nursery must be protected from the effects of low temperatures. If the thermometer drops below zero degrees, the beautiful plant will die.
In industrial and home gardens, this crop is grown primarily from seeds. True, more experienced gardeners plant a nursery with the help of vaccinations. Recently, this tropical plant is increasingly grown in containers as an ornamental indoor crop.
