Malpighia glabra L.

The ‘barbados cherry’ is cultivated at Lahore. The acid fruit can be eaten and used in preserves and jellies.

An evergreen tree or large shrub. Flowers c. 12 mm broad, reddish pink. Drupes dark red, with a thin epicarp.

Distribution: Indigenous to tropical S. America; W. Indies, USA.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Malpighia glabra, known as Barbados-cherry, acerola, or wild crapemyrtle, is an evergreen broadleaf shrub native to southern Texas in the U.S., the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. The fruits are edible, and are used in preserves and beverages. This species is sometimes confused with the more widely cultivated species, M. emarginata (previously called M. punicifolia), as well as with a cultivated hybrid between M. glabra and M. emarginata, all of which are referred to by the same common names. Much of what has been referred to as M. glabra in older botanical literature is more properly classified as M. emarginata. M. glabra grows to 3 m (10 feet tall) and 1.2 m (4 feet) wide, with slender, hairless branches. It has opposite, entire (smooth-margined) leaves, 2–7.5 cm (1–3 inches) long that are glossy dark green above, and paler below, with short petioles (leaf stalks). The small, bisexual (perfect) flowers are generally about 1 cm (1/2 inch) in diameter, and are pale to deep pink or red, and generally occur in axillary clusters (umbels) of 3 to 8. The distinctive flowers have 5 sepals (with glands) and 5 petals with fringed margins that are quite narrow at the bases; the long-stemmed petals hold them clear of the central cluster of 10 stamens. The fruits, which are berry-like but are technically drupes (fleshy fruits surrounding hard pits or stones), are small and round, about the size of a small cherry. Fruits are red when ripe and contain 3 seeds, which are generally 4-angled. Fruits, which are similar to but smaller than those of the cultivated varieties of M. emarginata, are thin-skinned with a juicy pulp and tart, acidic flavor. They are used in jams and beverages, and are high in vitamin C. Some species of Malpighia, including M. emarginata, have stinging hairs that may cause skin rashes, which can be used to distinguish them from the smooth, hairless and stingless M. glabra. In addition, M. glabra has smaller and more pointed leaves than M. emarginata. (Bailey et al. 1976, Everett 1981, Flora: Gardener’s Encyclopedia 2003, Morton 1987)

Malpighia glabra L. Sp. PI. 425. 1753
Malpighia nitida Mill. Card. Diet. ed. 8. Malpighia no. 5. 1768. Not .1/. nitida I.. 1762.
Malpighia undulata A. Juss. Arch. Mus. Paris 3 : 266. 1844.
Malpighia glabra guatemalensis Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 5. 1899.
Malpighia glabra undulata Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 5. 1899.
Malpighia glabra lancifolia Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 5. 1899.
Malpighia glabra typica Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 5. 1899.
Malpighia glabra antillana Urban & Niedzu.; Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 5. 1899.
Leaf-blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate or ovate, 2.5-8 cm. long, acute or acuminate, or sometimes obtuse, deep-green above, paler beneath, ultimately glabrous, gradually or abruptly narrowed at the base, nearly sessile; cymes peduucled, the branches glabrous or sparingly pubescent; sepals oblong to ovate-oblong, 2.5-3 mm. long, glabrous or with few scattered hairs on the back, the glands usually fully one half the length of the sepal-body ; corolla pink, 13-16 mm. wide, the larger petals 6-7.5 mm. long; drupes depressed-ovoid, 7-9 mm. long, slightly wider, red, often scarlet.
Type locality : Jamaica.
Distribution : Southern Texas, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies ; also in northern South America.

Malpighia biflora Poir. in Lam. Encyc. 4 : 326. 1797
Malpighia punicifolia Cav. Diss. 406. 1789. Not M. punicifolia L. 1762. Malpighia oxycocca Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 117. 1859. Malpighia oxycocca biflora Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 14. 1899.
Leaf-blades oblong or elliptic, varying to lanceolate or ovate, 3-12 cm. long, acute or somewhat acuminate, bright-green on both sides, slightly paler beneath than above, with scattered hairs on both sides or glabrous in age, very short-petioled ; cymes peduncled, the branches usually sparingly pubescent at least during anthesis ; sepals ovate to oblong-ovate, 3.5-4 mm. long, glabrous or nearly so, the glands fully one half the length of the sepalbody ; corolla purple or pink, 1S-23 mm. wide, the larger petals 8-10.5 mm. long; drupes ovoid or pyramidal, 13-17 mm. long, scarlet.
Type locality : America. Distribution : Cuba and Jamaica.

Malpighia punicifolia L. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 609. 1762
Malpighia uniflora Tussae, Fl. Ant. 3 : pi. 27. 1824. Malpighia Berleriana Spreng. Syst. 2 : 383. 1825. Malpighia punicifolia lancifolia Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 8. 1899. Malpighia punicifolia vulgaris Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 8. 1899. Malpighia punicifolia obovata Niedzu. Gen. Malp. 8. 1899.
Leaf-blades elliptic, oblong, obovate, or linear-oblanceolate, 1.5-7 cm. long, obtuse or retuse, ultimately glabrous, slightly paler beneath than above, cuneately or abruptly narrowed at the base, short-petioled ; cymes sessile or nearly so, the branches sparingly pubescent ; sepals ovate, 2.5-3 mm. long, more or less pubescent, fully one half the length of the sepal-body ; corolla pink or violet, 16-21 mm. wide, the larger petals 7-9 mm. long ; drupes globose-ovoid or subglobose, 10-16 mm, long, scarlet.
Type locality : Tropical America.
Distribution: West Indies and northern South America.

Malpighia glabra is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. It has often been confused with the cultivated crop tree M. emarginata, but has small insipid fruit and a very different flower structure.