Brazil-cherry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Brazil-cherry
• grumichama

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Stenocalyx brasiliensis
• Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. leucocarpa
• Eugenia brasiliensis var. erythrocarpa
• Eugenia brasiliensis var. leucocarpa
• Eugenia bracteolaris
• Myrtus grumixama
• Eugenia filipes
• Eugenia ubensis
• Stenocalyx ubensis
• Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. erythrocarpa
• Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. iocarpa
• Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. silvestris

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified within the order Myrtales and the family Myrtaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Eugenia, specifically as the species Eugenia brasiliensis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread geographical distribution spanning several distinct tropical regions across the globe. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found specifically around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Its presence extends to the Western Indian Ocean, where it inhabits the Comoros archipelago. The species also reaches the North-Central Pacific in Hawaii and the Caribbean within Trinidad and Tobago. Finally, a significant portion of its range is located in Brazil, particularly throughout the Northeast region.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Eugenia brasiliensis is characterized by its presence in diverse forest ecosystems, including Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (also known as Floresta Pluvial), Floresta Ombrófila Mista, and Restinga habitats. This species exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, thriving at elevations ranging from a minimum of 100 m AMSL to a maximum of 900 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

100 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Floresta Ombrófila Mista, Restinga

Life history

The life history of Eugenia brasiliensis is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive shoots are elevated well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its growth habit. The plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that it retains its foliage throughout the year rather than shedding it seasonally. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle, a phanerophyte life form, and evergreen characteristics contributes to its stable presence within its natural ecological niche.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Eugenia brasiliensis is characterized by its woody nature and versatile growth forms, appearing as both a tree and a shrub. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a parasite, maintaining an independent life cycle. The species is strictly terrestrial, lacking aquatic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variation in height, with recorded measurements ranging from a minimum of 7 m to a maximum of 10.5 m, though it can reach a mean height of approximately 14 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

10.5 m

Plant height mean:

14 m

Plant height min:

7 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Eugenia brasiliensis is characterized by a standard metabolic profile typical of many woody dicotyledonous species. It utilizes the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a process in which carbon dioxide is fixed directly through the Calvin cycle without the specialized CO2-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM plants. Consequently, its carbon assimilation is highly dependent on stomatal conductance and environmental moisture levels. Furthermore, this species is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of inorganic nitrogen, such as nitrates and ammonium, from the surrounding soil substrate to support its growth and protein synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Eugenia brasiliensis is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit a significant degree of morphological variation in terms of weight. The seed mass within a population is notably diverse, with a recorded minimum mass of only 0.000063 g, representing the smallest individual seeds. In contrast, the maximum seed mass reaches up to 0.003861 g, indicating a wide spectrum of reproductive investment per unit. When observing the central tendency of these reproductive structures, the mean seed mass is calculated at 0.001962 g, providing a quantitative baseline for the typical size of the seeds produced during the plant's reproductive cycle.

Seed mass max:

0.003861 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001962 g

Seed mass min:

6.3e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Eugenia brasiliensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Eugenia brasiliensis has 14 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ash, CALCIUM, EO, Epicatechin, FAT.

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

EO

1. Dr. Duke

Epicatechin

1. Microbial pathogenesis

FAT

1. Dr. Duke

Gallic acid

1. Microbial pathogenesis

IRON

1. Dr. Duke

PHOSPHORUS

1. Dr. Duke

ascorbic acid

1. Dr. Duke

beta-carotene

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Eugenia brasiliensis has 209 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antinociceptive, Antioxidant, Diuretic, Acidulant, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor.

Antinociceptive

1. Molecular neurobiology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Diuretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Acidulant

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

Androgenic?

1. Dr. Duke

Angiotensin-Receptor-Blocker

1. Dr. Duke

AntiAGE

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Eugenia brasiliensis has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include chronic pain, histamine, mechanical allodynia, pain, temperature.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations