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Eugenia uniflora

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Eugenia

brush cherry, pitanga, surinam cherry

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 2–3 m tall.

Stems: Branches glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 4–7 cm long, 2–4 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base rounded or broadly cuneate. Surfaces minutely glandular punctate; lower surfaces glabrous or sparsely puberulent, Blades thin, coriaceous. Margins slightly revolute. 9–12 pairs of principal lateral veins, 4–7 mm apart, submarginal vein irregular. Petioles 2–5 mm long. Stipules vestigial or absent.

Flowers: Flowers 1–2 in the leaf axils, pedicels 20–40 mm long, glabrous, bracts 1–1.5 mm long, puberulent, persistent. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. hypanthium obconical, 2–3 mm long, sparsely puberulent to glabrate. Calyx of 4 sepals; sepals green, ovate, 3–4 mm long, inserted on the annular nectary disk, ciliate, persistent. Corolla of 4 petals, white, obovate, 7–8 mm long, ciliate, persistent; annular nectary disk raised slightly above point of petal insertion, strigose. Stamens ca. 50, inserted on nectary disk; filaments white, 3–7 mm long. Ovary inferior; ovule placentation axile; style short.

Fruit: Fruit red; subglobose; conspicuously longitudinally 8–ribbed; 1–2 cm long; pericarp fleshy; 2–3 mm thick. Seeds 1 per fruit; subglobose; 8–15 mm in diameter; seed coat loosely coherent to pericarp and cotyledons; the latter connate.

Ploidy: 2n = 22; 33

Habitat: Cultivated on Midway Atoll and all of the main islands except Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe; and very sparingly naturalized in low elevation mesic sites; especially valley floors; at least on Kaua'i; Moloka'i; and several of the other main islands; but collections are lacking for any naturalized occurrence.

Elevation Range: 30–730 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (44)

Eugenia arechavaletae Herter (1931)
Eugenia costata Cambess. (1833)
Eugenia dasyblasta (O.Berg) Nied. (1893)
Eugenia decidua Merr. (1914)
Eugenia michelii Lam. (1789)
Eugenia myrtifolia Salisb. (1796)
Eugenia oblongifolia (O.Berg) Arechav. (1905)
Eugenia pauper Guillaumin (1933)
Eugenia strigosa (O.Berg) Arechav. (1905)
Eugenia uniflora var. atropurpurea Mattos (1984)
Eugenia willdenowii (Spreng.) DC. (1828)
Eugenia zeylanica Willd. (1799)
Luma arechavaletae (Herter) Herter (1943)
Luma costata (Cambess.) Herter (1943)
Luma dasyblasta (O.Berg) Herter (1943)
Luma strigosa (O.Berg) Herter (1943)
Myrtus brasiliana L. (1753)
Myrtus brasiliana var. diversifolia Kuntze (1898)
Myrtus brasiliana var. lanceolata Kuntze (1898)
Myrtus brasiliana var. lucida (O.Berg) Kuntze (1898)
Myrtus brasiliana var. normalis Kuntze (1898)
Myrtus willdenowii Spreng. (1825)
Myrtus willdenowii var. portoriccensis Spreng. ex DC. (1828)
Plinia pedunculata L.f. (1782)
Plinia petiolata L. (1775)
Plinia rubra L. (1771)
Plinia tetrapetala L. (1771)
Stenocalyx affinis O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx brunneus O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx costatus (Cambess.) O.Berg (1856)
Stenocalyx dasyblastus O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx glaber O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx impunctatus O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx lucidus O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx michelii (Lam.) O.Berg (1856)
Stenocalyx michelii var. membranacea O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx michelii var. rigida O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx oblongifolius O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx rhampiri Barb.Rodr. (1903)
Stenocalyx ruber (L.) Kausel (1956)
Stenocalyx strigosus O.Berg (1857)
Stenocalyx uniflorus (L.) Kausel (1967)
Syzygium brousmichei Govaerts (2008)
Syzygium michelii (Lam.) Duthie (1879)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Only found in cultivation
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 470 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:961 (K, Mo); Oppenheimer 2003:16 (EM, WM); Staples & Herbst 2005:423 (DESCR); Frohlich & Lau 2010:12 (O); Starr et al. 2010:65 (L)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Eugenia uniflora UH campus, Henke Hall Incorporated into a trimmed hedge 1.5m ht in full sun. Preserved_Specimen Petals white; stamens white; flowers odorless (Afternoon); ripening fruit orange, turning crimson w. full maturity. Lau, J. 2179 Oahu BISH 1986-03-26
2 Eugenia uniflora Halawa Spreading along trail by abandoned taro patches. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12665 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
3 Eugenia uniflora Koloa District; Lawai, along Lauoho Rd In fence row and secondary thicket. Preserved_Specimen Shrub or small tree 2-3m ht; young lvs bronze; flwers white, fragrant, ripe fruits red, 1-seeded, comestible. Lorence, D.H. 5201 Kauai BISH 1987-05-01
4 Eugenia uniflora East Maui, near Haiku School In gulch. Associated vegetation: Thunbergia fragrans, Leucaena leucocephala. Preserved_Specimen Small tree/large shrub 2-3m ht; foliage green; flowers white; fruit red, berries 8-ribbed, tasty, like acerola (sweet-sour). Starr, F. 110252 Maui BISH 2001-10-25
5 Eugenia uniflora Mount Tantalus, near Pu'u Ohia Trail. Along ridge trail. In a patch of ~12 trees. With Freycinetia arborea, Psidium guajava, and Cinnamomum. Preserved_Specimen 6 m tall tree. Branching near ground with about 5 stems ~10-15 cm. Fruit Crimson (Color 62, G. Köhler 2012) to Chartreuse (C 89) and sour/phenolic in flavor. Mature leaves are Leaf Green (C 122) above and Parrot Green (C121) below. New leaves Olive (C 126). Flowers 4 petaled and white. Walvoord, N. 2023002 Oahu BISH 2023-01-01
6 Eugenia uniflora Halawa Spreading along trail by abandoned taro patches. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12665 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
7 Eugenia uniflora Tree plot area; wailua Game Rerserve Area, above Wailua Vegetation on plots stripmined for bauxite ore in 1958-60, fertilizer applied topically. Preserved_Specimen Arching shrub of 3m, flowers white, fruit red. Howard, R.A. 20211 Kauai BISH 1985-10-20
8 Eugenia uniflora Pearl City, Waimalu Valley Growing among Enterolobium/ Casuarina overstory. Understory primarily E. uniflora of various size classes. (20 m x 15 meter area.) Preserved_Specimen 2 meter tall shrub. Flowers white, Fruits numerous, ripening to orange and orange-red. OED 2008050201 Oahu BISH 2008-05-02
9 Eugenia uniflora W Maui, Lahaina District, Honolua, Mokupea Gulch Preserved_Specimen Flowers white and fragrant. Oppenheimer, H.L. 30103 Maui BISH 2001-03-03
10 Eugenia uniflora Hilo Preserved_Specimen 10ft ht. Degener, O. 7331 Hawaii BISH 1930-04-10
11 Eugenia uniflora Puhi Camp, just W of Kauai Community College Preserved_Specimen Shrub of 8ft; new lvs bronze colored; petals 4, white; stamens numerous, white; anthers dull yellow. Flynn, T.W. 1622 Kauai BISH 1986-04-03
12 Eugenia uniflora Honolulu, opposite McKinley High Preserved_Specimen Shrub 6ft ht, 5ft across, 2.5inch trunk. Woolford, H.A. 265 Oahu BISH 1956-01-09
13 Eugenia uniflora Kalaupapa National Historical Park; Waihanau; behind dump Preserved_Specimen Wysong, M.L. 448 Molokai BISH 2004-11-17
14 Eugenia uniflora Honolulu, US experiment station Preserved_Specimen MacDaniels, L.H. 349 Oahu BISH 1926-10-25
15 Eugenia uniflora Honolulu. 500 Lunalilo Home Road; Esplanade Condominiums Cultivated plants on south side of main entry from side walk. Preserved_Specimen Snow, N. 10040 Oahu BISH 2009-06-04
16 Eugenia uniflora Halawa Spreading along trail by abandoned taro patches. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12665 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
17 Eugenia uniflora East Maui, Makawao District, Haiku Preserved_Specimen Trees; fruits red. Oppenheimer, H.L. 100114 Maui BISH 2001-10-21
18 Eugenia uniflora Herbarium Experiment Station, HSPA., Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Forbes, A. 67 Oahu BISH 1929-10-11
19 Eugenia uniflora Lihue Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 2080 Kauai BISH 1926-06-10
20 Eugenia uniflora UH campus Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. Oahu BISH 1962-02-10
21 Eugenia uniflora Near old homestead, Halawa Valley Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
22 Eugenia uniflora UH campus Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. Oahu BISH 1962-04-30
23 Eugenia uniflora Honolulu, Foster Botanical Garden, 180 N. Vineyard Blvd Preserved_Specimen Spies, J. Oahu BISH 2001-02-25
24 Eugenia uniflora Ko`olauloa District, Pupukea. Naturalized in waste areas and in shade of cultivated trees. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 70916 Oahu BISH 2009-07-22
25 Eugenia uniflora Lanai City, Queen Street, in abandoned scrub area on mauka side of road Widely cultivated and occasionally growing wild in scrub areas around Lanai City; Growing with Lantana montevidensis, Eugenia uniflora, and Tithonia diversifolia Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 7040305 Lanai BISH 2007-04-03
26 Eugenia uniflora Kau in Waiohinu Spreading from a mature, cultivated individual into active agriculture, mostly at the edges of banana fields and with areas of M. maximus. Preserved_Specimen Small tree, new lvs fleshy and reddish. Fruit red and juicy containing 1 seed. Naturalized. Murphy, M. 280 Hawaii BISH 2024-10-18
27 Eugenia uniflora Kaamooloa Rd, waialua Silty loam soil, 0 degrees slope. Preserved_Specimen Small tree to 10ft ht; small white flowers, scarlet eight furrow fruit, fruits edible but acid. Afualo, D. 46 Oahu BISH 1975-03-08
28 Eugenia uniflora Foster Botanical Garden. Cultivated Preserved_Specimen Snow, N. 10032 Oahu BISH 2008-10-08
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