BYRSONIMA CRASSIFOLIA, BYRSONIMA INTERMEDIA, BYRSONIMA LANCIFOLIA AND BYRSONIMA STIPULATA

 

POPULAR NAMES: Murici do Cerrado (B. crassifólia), Murici rasteiro or canjiquinha (B. intermedia), Murici guassú (B. lancifolia) and Murici da Praia (B. stipulata)

 

MALPIGHIACAEAE

 

 

 INDIGENOUS NAME: Murici comes from the Tupi-Guarani and means "little tree" and the term guassú  for the species B. lancifolia means "great result" for other species.

 

Origin: The various species occur in Brazil: the Murici do Cerrado - in all fields and savannas; Canjoquinha occurs in areas throughout Brazil, the Murici guassú in Amazônia and Murici da Praia in the coastal Atlantic Forest.  

 

Characteristics: Small tree of the height of 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 feet) or shrub mostly of the height of 1 m (approx. 3 feet), the crown is uniform because of branches that break easily, the stalk is gray or brown and old trunk has squared cracks. The leaves are simple, coriaceous, tomentosa (covered by the hairs in the case of the species  B. crassifolia and B. stipulata) or glabras (without hairs), on the upper side (in the case of B. intermedia and B. lancifolia) and pubescent (covered by small hairs) on the underside, with lanceolate apex. The flowers are yellow in the number of 15 to 35 small flowers arranged in racemes (a type of cluster with a central stem).   

 

Planted in the site of Frutas Raras: B. crassifolia in January 2002; B. intermedia in September 2002; B. stipulata in September 2003; B. lancifolia in September 2004. The fruit began in the age of 2 to 3 years after planting.

 

Tips for cultivation:  A fast-growing shrub, prefers red and loamy soils with rapid drainage of rain water and around pH  5.5, is resistant to light frosts  to -1°C (30°F) degree. You should plant it in an environment protected from strong winds because their branches break easily!

 

Propagation: Seeds are kept in natural conditions for up to 6 months and germinate in 60 to 120 days in the summer, the plants enjoy sandy and organic substrate, and shading to a maximum of 50%. Under these conditions the seedlings can be planted in 4 to 5 months after germination.

 

Planting: I recommend that they should be planted in full sun in a space of 5x5 m (17 x 17 feet) in the case of B. crassifólia and B. lancifolia, space of 6 x 6 m (20 x 20 feet) in the case of B. stipulata, 2 x 2 m (7 to 7 feet) in the case of B. intermedia. Best planting season is November to January, water with 10 l after planting and every 15 days if no rain.

 

Cultivating: The plant grows fast and needs no special care, it must be hard only for a mentor to tie the plant not to break, good to remove the shoots that arise at the base of the stem. Make pruning training. Fertilizers containing organic compound, can be (8 liters) poultry litter + 50 g of NPK 10-10-10 doubling that amount every year until the 4th year. Distribute the nutrients to 5 cm of depth in the distance of 50 cm from the trunk in the circle.

 

Uses: The fruit is consumed in-kind, and used in the manufacture of jams, ice cream and other sweets.

 

Flowering in the site of Frutas Raras: September to February.

 

Fruiting in the site of Frutas Raras: March to August.

 

 

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