Saturday, June 23, 2007

Eugenia, unidentified

In an earlier post (June 1, 2007), I talked about ubaia (Eugenia patrisii), a cherry-looking fruit found in the wild and also planted in a few back yards in the rural areas. Last year, I noticed a small tree near the reception center bearing red fruit and I immediately thought of ubaia. As it turned, the fruit are much smaller. And, as usual, nobody had a name for the tree. This year the tree produced fruit again and I still haven't the slightest idea what it is. My guess is that the genus is Eugenia but it's only a guess on my part. That's what tropical biodiversity is all about. I've searched the internet, I've looked at my books, I've asked many people ... and I'm still in the dark.

1 comment:

GingerV said...

I have just been given the gift of your blog address by a friend. I live outside of Nova Friburgo in the 'mata atlantico' reserve. I have been living here 4 years and can not find a book that lists (with good photos) of the local flora. Would you recommend one? (if in English would be great)
your photos are fantastic - what camera/lens is being used?
gingerv@gigalink.com.br