Camu-camu - Myrciaria dubia, good review article

[jackedfruit]

I was checking some research on the nutritional profile of camu-camu and came across this great article.

http://www.fruits-journal.org/articles/fruits/pdf/2001/05/rodrigues.pdf

[FlyingFoxFruits]

the article seems to say there are about 40 species of Myrciaria, that are all called Camu camu...most are shrub-like, and about 25% are trees.

If this is true, I suppose my estimation of there being approximately 200 species of Myrciaria, is way off...There must be well over 500 species.

I wonder if it's a mistake, and they mean varieties, instead of species?  This is an article that's translated from Spanish to English.


The greatest source of genetic diversity is
in the Peruvian Amazon where natural plan-
tations exist. There, the germoplasm collec-
tion indicates at least 29 species of natural
shrub camu-camu populations and ten tree
camu-camu species [5, 6]. The variability
between populations, which may be genetic
or due to climatic factors, can be observed
at the time of fructification.

[jackedfruit]

I wonder if it's a mistake, and they mean varieties, instead of species? 

Judging by their sources it indeed seems to be a mistake

El único banco de germplasma existente es el del INIA, Perú, el cual comprendeindividuos de 39 poblaciones muestreadas en la Amazonia peruana. Este banco estáinstalado tanto en suelos inundables y en suelos con buen drenaje, constituyendo unexcelente material para estudios de caracterización y de mejoramiento. Las empresaprivada en el Perú tiene clones seleccionados por su alta productividad

There probably are a few different species though (in addition to the bush and tree type they mention)

"También se ha reportado la existencia de otro arbusto silvestre muy parecido al camucamu arbustivo pero que en realidad es otra especie (
Psidium densicomum)."

http://es.scribd.com/doc/25019192/Frutales-y-Hortalizas-Promisorios-de-La-Amazonia
 

[FlyingFoxFruits]

thanks for the info jackedfruit,

I had a feeling that was the explanation.

I see it's translated from Espanol? not Portuguese?