guava

 

(gwä'və) , small evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Psidium of the family Myrtaceae (myrtle family), native to tropical America and grown elsewhere for its ornamental flowers and edible fruit. The fruit (a fleshy berry with many hard seeds) of the common tropical guava (P. guajava) is shaped like an apple or a pear and has white, pink, or red flesh (depending on the variety) with a sweet, musky flavor and, usually, a yellow rind. The strawberry guava (P. cattleyanum), native to Brazil, bears a red fruit with a rough rind and reddish pulp, supposedly strawberrylike in flavor. At the time of the Spanish explorations the guava was found from Peru to Mexico; in the United States it is now grown commercially in Florida and California, where it has also escaped cultivation and become naturalized. Much of the perishable fruit is made into jellies, beverages, and similar products. It is a rich source of minerals and of vitamins A and C. Guava is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Myrtales, family Myrtaceae.

Guava
Apple Guava Psidium guajava fruit and leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Psidium L.
Species
About 100 species, see text.

Guava (from Arawak via Spanish, Guayaba) is a genus of about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. The leaves are opposite, simple, elliptic to ovate, 5-15 cm long. The flowers are white, with five petals and numerous stamens. Psidium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Eupseudosoma aberrans, Snowy Eupseudosoma and Hypercompe icasia.

The fruit is edible, round to pear-shaped, from 3-10 cm in diameter (to 12 cm in some selected cultivars). It has a thin delicate rind, pale green to yellow at maturity in some species, pink to red in others, a creamy white or orange-salmon flesh with many small hard seeds, and a strong, characteristic aroma. It is rich in vitamins A, B, and C (a guava fruit contains more vitamin C than a typical citrus fruit – the rind contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange). It also contains high amounts of calcium – which is unusual in a fruit.

Cultivation and uses

Guavas are cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries for their edible fruit. Several species are grown commercially; those listed below are the most important. The fruit is commonly eaten whole, but is often prepared in a variety of ways as a dessert. In Asia, fresh raw guava is often dipped in preserved prune powder or salt. Boiled guava is also extensively used to make candies, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades (goiabada), and juices. In Asia, a tea is made from guava fruits and leaves. In Egypt and South Africa, guava juice is popular.

in Urdu its called amrood (امرود).

The whole fruit is edible, from seeds to rind, but many people choose to cut out the middle of the guava which contains the hard seeds, since the seeds are difficult to separate from the surrounding pulp. The guava flesh is sweet (the middle part is sweetest), and the rind is slightly bitter tasting.

Guava leaves are used for medicinal purposes, as a remedy for diarrhea[1], and for their supposed antimicrobial properties. The same anti-diarrheal substances which are useful in folk medicine may also cause constipation in the case of consumption of large amounts of guava fruits. In Cuba their leaves are also used in barbecues providing a nice smoked flavor and scent to the meat. In recent studies, Guava is believed to have sugar lowering properties to help diabetics lower their sugar count. While testing is not fully conclusive, results have been promising as a natural means to help diabetics combat high sugar.

Mature trees are not frost-sensitive and can survive as low as 5°C for short periods of time, but younger plants will not survive. They are known to survive in Northern Pakistan where they can get down to 5°C or lower during the night. In several tropical regions, including Hawaii, some species have become invasive weed shrubs. Guava wood is used for meat smoking in Hawaii and is being used by BBQ competitors across the United States. Guava are also of interest to home growers in temperate areas, being one of the very few tropical fruits that can be grown to fruiting size in pots indoors.

Red guavas can be used as the base of salted products such as sauces, constituting a substitute for tomatoes, especially for those sensitive to the latter's acidity.

Selected species

• Psidium australe Cambess.
• Psidium cattleianum - Strawberry Guava, Peruvian Guava.
• Psidium cinereum Mart.
• Psidium friedrichsthalium - Costa Rica Guava, Cas Guava
• Psidium galapageium - Galápagos Guava
• Psidium guajava - Apple Guava
• Psidium guineense - Guinea Guava
• Psidium incanescens Mart.
• Psidium littorale - Cattley Guava
• Psidium montanum - Mountain Guava

Ripe guava fruit	'Thai Maroon' guava	Green guava fruit	Ripe Guava
Indonesian Guava

See also

• Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana)
• List of culinary fruits
• Guaba of Ecuador
• Goiabada

External links

• Fruits of Warm Climates: Guava
• California Rare Fruit Growers: Tropical Guava Fruit Facts
• Health Benefits of Guava Fruit
• Invasive Species Remedy

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