VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 (July to December 2014)

by Pablito M. Magdalita*, Maria Ivana Kay M. Abrigo, and Roberto E. Coronel

Crop Science Cluster-Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture,
University of the Philippines, Los Baños, 4031, College, Laguna, Philippines

Six selected rare fruit species, two endemic and four introduced into the country, were evaluated phenotypically for tree and fruit characteristics. These species include: Cedar Bay Cherry (Eugenia carissoides F. Muell.), "Hunggo" (Elaeocarpus calomala Turcz.), "Katmon" or Elephant Apple (Dillenia philippinensis Rolfe), "Kepel" (Stelechocarpus burahol), "Lovi-lovi" or Governor's Plum (Flacourtia enermis Roxb.), and Giant Soursop (Annona montana Macfayd.). The Cedar Bay Cherry from Australia is a shrub up to 2.0 m high; the fruits are globose to roundish (1.73 g) with shrimp red skin that are eaten fresh or made into jam or jelly. The "Hunggo", an endemic species in the Philippines, is a very large tree up to 30 m high; the fruits are oblong (7.5 g) with dark purple red skin, subacid flesh and astringent taste that are usually eaten fresh mixed with a little salt. "Katmon", another endemic species in the country, is a medium-sized tree up to 17 m high; the fruits are globose to ovoid (73.9 g) with yellowish green skin when ripe, and sour flesh that can be eaten raw, or made into souring agent, jam or jelly. The "Kepel" from Indonesia is a small tree, up to 5.50 m high; the fruits are ovoid (101.76 g) with Chinese yellow flesh, that is sweet (9.44 oBrix) and can be eaten raw or made into sherbet. The "Lovi-lovi", also from Indonesia, is a small- to medium-sized tree up to 6.51 m high; the fruits are spheroid (4.35 g) with very dark purple peel and copper brown flesh that is sub-acid to sweet (12.0 °Brix) that can be eaten fresh or made into preserve. The Giant Soursop from Florida, USA is a medium-sized tree that grows up to 10.0 m high; the fruits weigh 1,550 g, are obo- void, and greenish when ripe, with sub-acid flesh that can be made into preserve.