Genipa americana

Genipa americana (/ˈdʒɛnɪpə/) is a species of trees in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean.

Genipa americana
Flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Genipa
Species:
G. americana
Binomial name
Genipa americana
Synonyms

Description

Genipa americana trees are up to 30 m tall and up to 60 cm dbh.[1][2][3] Their bark is smooth with little fissures.[3] The leaves are opposite, obovate, or obovate oblong, 10–35 cm long, 6–13 cm wide, and glossy dark green, with entire margin, acute or acuminate apex, and attenuated base.[1][4][2] The inflorescences are cymes up to 10 cm long.[1] The flowers are white to yellowish, slightly fragrant, calyx bell-shaped, corolla at 2–4.5 cm long, trumpet-shaped, and five- or six-lobed.[1][4][2] The five short stamens are inserted on top of the corolla tube.[4] The fruit is a thick-skinned edible greyish berry 10–12 cm long, 5–9 cm in diameter.[1][4]

Distribution and habitat

Genipa americana is native to the tropical forests of the Americas, from tropical Florida south to Argentina.[1][5][6] It is present from sea level up to 1200 m of elevation,[3] although some argue the original native range as being northern South America.[7]

Vernacular names

In English, the tree is known as the genip tree /ˈdʒɛnɪp/ and the fruit as genipap /ˈdʒɛnɪpæp/.[8]

Colombia: jagua, caruto, huito;[3][5] Brazil: jenipapo, formerly genipapo;[3] Costa Rica: guaitil, tapaculo;[3] Nicaragua: tapaculo, yigualtí;[3] Mexico: shagua, xagua;[3] Perú: huito, vito;[5] Argentina: ñandipá;[5] Bolivia: bí[9]

It is called we'e (*weʔe) in Proto-Tucanoan.[10]

Chemical compounds

The following compounds have been isolated from G. americana: genipic acid,[11] genipinic acid,[11] genipin[12] (all three from the fruit) and geniposidic acid (leaves).[11]

Uses

The unripe fruit of G. americana yields a liquid used as a dye for tattoos, skin painting and insect repellent.[6]

This species is also cultivated for its edible fruits, which are eaten in preserves or made into drinks, jelly, or ice cream.[6]

The wood is reported to be resistant, strong, and easily worked; it is used in the making of utensils and in construction and carpentry.[2][3]

  • Tree
  • Leaves and fruits
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See also

References
  1. Liogier, Alain H. (1985). Descriptive Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands. La Editorial, UPR. p. 97. ISBN 9780847723386.
  2. Francis, Macbride, J.; E., Dahlgren, B. (1936). "Flora of Peru /". Fieldiana. v.13:pt.6:no.1 [Rubiaceae]: 106.
  3. López, René; Montero, Martín (2005). "27 - Genipa americana". Manual de identificación de especies forestales con manejo certificable por comunidades (in Spanish). Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas "SINCHI". ISBN 9789589759745.
  4. Food and Fruit-bearing Forest Species: Examples from Latin America. FAO. 1986. pp. 141. ISBN 9789251023723.
  5. Grandtner, M. M.; Chevrette, Julien (2013). Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press. p. 263. ISBN 9780123969545.
  6. Hanelt, Peter; Research, Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant (2001). Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: (Except Ornamentals). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 1775. ISBN 9783540410171.
  7. Duarte, Odilo; Paull, Robert (2015). Exotic Fruits and Nuts of the New World. CABI. pp. 284–285. ISBN 9781780645056.
  8. "genip, genipap". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. Coimbra Sanz, Germán (2014). Diccionario enciclopédico cruceño, 3rd edition. Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de Santa Cruz. p. 54.
  10. Chacon, Thiago (2013). On Proto-Languages and Archaeological Cultures: pre-history and material culture in the Tukanoan Family. In Revista Brasileira de Linguística Antropológica. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 217-245.
  11. Connolly, J.D.; Hill, R.A. (1991). Dictionary of Terpenoids. 1. CRC Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 9780412257704.
  12. Bajaj, Y. P. S. (2012). Medicinal and Aromatic Plants IV. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 164. ISBN 9783642770043.

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