Malpighia emarginata is a tropical shrub belonging to the Malpighiaceae family. It is commonly also referred to as Acerola , Wild Crapemyrtle Barbados Cherry and West Indian Cherry . It is a small evergreen tree with branches spread across a short trunk . It usually grows up to a height of 6.6–9.8 ft but sometimes reaches to 20 ft. The leaves are 2–8 cm long and ovate-lanceolate in shape with short petioles . Their arrangement is opposite , elliptic-lanceolate margins undulating with sides in the top dark green and glossy. The flowers are bisexual and range between 1–2 cm in diameter - pale to deep pink in color. Their petals are mainly fringed, contain ten stamens with six to ten glands on the calyx . Each inflorescence consists about three to five flowers, which are either sessile or in the form of short- peduncled axillary cymes. The Acercola fruit is a bright red drupe consisting of 1–3 cm of diameter.

The drupes are present in pairs of three and arranged in the form of triangular seeds . They are very juicy and contain high content of vitamin C as compared to other nutrients . They are mainly divided into three lobes obscured from each other and usually acid ic in taste, but become very sweet after mature growth.

Uses and Benefits:

Researches reveal that acerola juice holds extremely high content of vitamin C. A detailed analysis of the same showed that Acerola juice contains Vitamin C 32 times than that contained in similar amount of orange juice. A comparative study on percentage of antioxidant content present in pulps of varied fruits was carried out which revealed that acerola had the maximum antioxidant potency as compared to all the eleven fruits studied for research.

References:

1. ^ a b " Malpighia glabra L." . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-02-11 .  Retrieved 2009-12-16 .
2. ^ a b c " Malpighia emarginata DC." . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-05-18 .  Retrieved 2010-02-02 .
3. ^ a b Johnson, Paul D. (2003). "Acerola ( Malpighia glabra L., M. punicifolia M. emarginata DC.) Agriculture, Production, and Nutrition" . in Artemis P. Simopoulos; C. Gopalan. Plants in Human Health and Nutrition Policy . 91 . Karger Publishers. pp. 63–74. ISBN   9783805575546 .
4. ^ " Malpighia glabra L. wild crapemyrtle" . PLANTS Database . United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2009-10-17 .
5. ^ "Barbados Cherry, Mexican Myrtle, Manzanita, Cerez, Huacacote, Wild Crepe Myrtle, Manyonita, Cerezo de Jamaica, Cerezo de Castillo, Pallo de Gallina, Escobillo, Chia, Arrayncito, Xocat, Xocatatl Malpighia glabra " . Benny Simpson's Texas Native Shrubs . Texas A&M University .  Retrieved 2009-12-15 .