Syzygium Jambos
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''Syzygium jambos'' is a species of rose apple originating in Southeast Asia and occurring widely elsewhere, having been introduced as an
ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...
and
fruit tree A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans. All trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, the te ...
.Janick, Jules. Paull, Robert E. The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. Publisher: CABI 2008.


Description

''Syzygium jambos'' is a large
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
or small-to-medium-sized tree, typically high, with a tendency to low branching. Its
leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
and twigs are
glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...
and the bark, though dark brown, is fairly smooth too, with little relief or texture. The leaves are
lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...
, broad, long, pointed, base cuneate with hardly any petiole, lively red when growing, but dark, glossy green on attaining full size. The flowers are in small terminal clusters, white or greenish white, the long, numerous stamens giving them a diameter of . In temperate regions the tree is summer-flowering. The fruit is shaped like some kinds of
guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...
; in fact, the fruit is so like the guava in appearance that people unfamiliar with it may mistake it for a guava on sight. However, the fragrance, flavour and texture are different, and instead of containing dozens of small, hard seeds set in a jelly-like tissue, as a guava does, the fruit of ''S. jambos'' usually contains one or two large, unarmoured seeds about 1 cm in diameter, lying loose in a slightly fluffy cavity when ripe. Shaking a fruit to feel whether the seeds rattle, gives some indication whether it is ripe. The skin is thin and waxy. The flowers are described by some as fragrant, though this appears to be a variable attribute. The ripe fruit, however, has a strong, pleasant floral bouquet, hence such common names as "Rose apple" and "pomarrosa".


Taxonomy


Botanical names

;''Syzygium jambos'' * Family:
Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...
* Genus: ''Syzygium'' * Species: ''jambos'' * Synonym: ''Eugenia jambos'' * Synonym: ''Jambosa jambos'' * Synonym: ''Jambosa vulgaris'' * Synonym: ''Myrtus jambos''Link text
additional text.
The tree has variously been allocated to the genus ''Jambosa'', ''Eugenia''Chittenden, Fred J. Ed., Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening, Oxford 1951 and ''Syzygium'', where it now seems to have been permanently accepted. There have been a few species ascribed to it, but currently several varieties with various fruit colours all are recognised as ''Syzygium jambos''.


Common names

''Syzygium jambos'' has several common names, reflecting the large number of regions in which it occurs as a garden or fruit tree or as an invader. The names include ''ಪನ್ನೇರಳೆ '', ''Guljamun '', ''madhura nelli'', Malabar Plum, ''Panineer Champakka'', ''Mountain Apple (champoo)'', ''chom pu'' or ''chom-phu''. Terms like "plum rose", "water apple", "pera de agua", "Cloud apple", "Wax apple", "Malay apple", "jambrosade", "PauTêe"(Penang Hokkien spelled with Taiwanese Romanisation System), "pomarrosa", or the English equivalent, "rose apple". Several of these names are applied to other species of ''
Syzygium ''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. I ...
'', while ''"jambu"'' can also mean a
guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...
. The name Jambu for this fruit is in all likelihood limited to one or two of the twenty-odd major Indian languages, while most other languages use similar words (Jaamun, Jaambhool, etc.) for another fruit, smaller than the rose apple, and dark purple in colour like the fruit of the
eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...
. In Bangla, the fruit is called "golap-jaam" () and in Odia, it is called "golapajamu" (), which literally translate to "rose jaamun", in reference to its distinct aroma. In Karnataka, the English common name is "rose apple", and the vernacular name is Pannerale (; Panneer hannu), while the name for the other one is Nerale. Such a confusion of
common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...
s in
horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
is nothing unusual. In Myanmar, it is called ''Lily fruit'' (). In
the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...
, it is locally called as ''yambo'', ''dambo'' or '. Always confused with ''macopa'', a closely related fruit ( Syzygium samarangense), ''Syzygium jambos'' is not widely cultivated and can only be encountered in rural areas. It is the namesake of Lake Yambo, one of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna In
Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
, it is called Jambu in Dhivehi, and its cousin fruit is called Jamburol, the water apple or wax apple. It is also known as বগী জামুক Bogi Jamuk in Assamese. In Brazil, the fruit is called jambo.


Varieties

There are many varieties of ''S. jambos'' worldwide, including undistinguished feral trees. In Thailand, the most common cultivated variety bears a pale green fruit. Malaysian varieties generally have red skins. In many regions, the fruit is a shade of pale yellow, often with a slight blush. The skin is thin and waxy, and the hollow core contains a small amount of insignificant fluff. The flesh is crisp and watery, and the taste is characteristic, which leads to some fanciful descriptions, such as: "like a cross between nashi and
bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...
, with a very mild
rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
scent and a slightly bitter
aftertaste Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying fea ...
."


Distribution and habitat

It has also been introduced widely on every continent except Antarctica, and it has become established and invasive in several regions. Concern has been expressed because of the threat to various ecosystems, including those on several
Hawaiian islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...
,
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
,
Pitcairn The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four islan ...
, the
Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands () are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of sli ...
, parts of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and the warmer regions of the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
. However, in Hawaii, it has been almost wiped out by the introduced rust '' Puccinia psidii''.


Uses

Rich in
vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...
, the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in various regional recipes. In South-East Asian countries, rose apple fruit is frequently served with
spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
d
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
. The wood is dense and accordingly is used as a source of charcoal. The tree is variously rich in
tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...
s that are of some antimicrobial interest. Some parts of the tree are used in regional traditional medicine.


References


External links

*
The Rose Apple

USDA profile



Jambosier
* http://www.mpbd.info/plants/syzygium-jambos.php * http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/rose_apple.htm * http://earthmedicineinstitute.com/more/library/medicinal-plants/syzygium-jambos/ * http://www.neifm.org/arunachalPage/showdetails/PLANT_ID/2032 * {{Taxonbar, from=Q31931 jambos Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Fruits originating in Asia Austronesian agriculture