2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Antillean gooseberry (Latin Phyllanthus acidus) - a woody fruit plant belonging to the genus Phyllanthus. Previously, it was a representative of the Euphorbia family, but recently the Phyllantes have been separated into a separate family.
Description
The Antilles gooseberry is a relatively small plant that ranges in height from two to nine meters.
The fruits of this culture look like light yellow, slightly flattened drupes with a pleasant silvery sheen. Their diameter can vary from one to two and a half centimeters, and they are all covered with rather thin skin. The flesh of the berries is slightly crispy and incredibly juicy. It is very sour, aromatic and difficult to separate from the seeds. And inside each seed, you can find from four to six miniature seeds. By the way, the fruits of the Antilles gooseberries do not soften even during ripening. And they are usually not harvested from trees - in order to harvest, you have to wait until the ripe berries themselves fall down.
Where grows
The homeland of the Antillean gooseberry is the distant and spectacular Madagascar. True, even in ancient times, this culture was successfully introduced to the Philippines. And in 1973, an interesting plant came to Jamaica (together with William Bligh), and from there it further spread to the Antilles, as well as Bermuda and the Bahamas.
Now the Antillean gooseberry is grown in a great variety of countries, which are characterized by a subtropical or tropical climate. It can be seen in Laos, Guam and Hawaii, Malaysia and South Vietnam, as well as in Venezuela, Indonesia, Suriname, Peru, Mexico and some other Central American states. Antillean gooseberries are also planted in Colombia and Brazil. This thermophilic crop bears fruit throughout the year, but in the Southern Hemisphere it peaks in January, and in the Northern Hemisphere in July.
Application
In order for all the vitamins to be preserved in the berries of the Antillean gooseberry, it is best to consume them fresh. And since they are quite sour (due in no small part to the impressive content of ascorbic acid), it is perfectly acceptable to mix them with sugar.
The peoples in which this plant is widespread in culture willingly preserve the Antillean gooseberry, and also add it to all kinds of dishes instead of spices (just like lemon is added in European countries). And the juice of these attractive berries is added to other juices to make them more aromatic. In addition, Antillean gooseberries make excellent candied fruits and soft drinks without alcohol.
The Antillean gooseberry is famous for its healing properties, moreover, since ancient times. The extract of its leaves is widely used to treat rheumatism, lumbago and the troublesome lumbosacral radiculitis, and the seeds will be a real salvation for people suffering from constipation, as they are endowed with a laxative effect. And the syrup from the berries of this culture is used to enhance blood circulation in the liver (an excellent remedy for hepatitis), as well as to cure gastritis, accompanied by low acidity.
Contraindications
There are no special contraindications to the use of Antillean gooseberries, but you should not completely exclude the possibility of individual intolerance.
Growing and caring
The Antilles gooseberry is very light-loving, but it can grow on almost any soil (ideally, on moist). He needs regular watering, but without waterlogging, and this plant reproduces mainly by seeds.
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