Guava

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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 Spanish Guayaba; Goiaba in Portuguese; Perakkya in Malayalam) is a genus of about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to 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.

Strawberry Guava Psidium cattleianum

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.

[edit] 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, guava juice is popular.

The whole guava is edible, from seeds to rind, but many people choose to cut out the seeds and the middle of the guava. The guava flesh is sweet (the middle part with the seeds 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 -1°C for short periods of time, but younger plants will not survive. They are known to survive in Northern Pakistan where it 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 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 who suffer from the latter's acidity.

Selected species