An agriculture products seller aproached me a few days ago to sell me silica (?) dioxide powder as a water retainer for plants. He advised me to soak a quantity of powder with water  overnight and put it in the pit where I was going to plant like a citrus graft.  Would like to know if this technique is effective. Anybody used this technique to retain water in a dry soil ?

Looks like you have Coccinea grandis or indica. They reproduce better from a stalk than from seed.

As to what I know , and experience on departure or entry into Brazil, you have to fill a declaration attesting that you are not bringing in or taking our seeds or plants  in/out of Brazil. False declaration if caught is liable for prosecution. You can enquire about rules/procedures at the Consular Services of Brazil, in your country.

I do have mammea americana (Mamey Apple), known in Brazil as Abricó do Pará, trees in my garden. They are  Dioecious. Seedlings sprout during the rainy season when ripe fruits fall in the ground. They take 6-8 years to bear fruit.

Could you please explain to me what correlation the insulin plant Cissus has to the reference www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12578546  you cite ?

I would caution somebody using wood alchool for mixing with fruits  and consuming the drink. Does consumation of methylated spirits not lead to blindness ? Ethyl alchool or alchool extracted from orange peel does not pose these problems.

To add: Pineapples, Guavas, Acerola, Pitanga

When my papaya trees get tall, I cut the top and cover with a plastic bucket. After some months side branches sprought. When they are about 6 inches length I remove some branches and replant them. My experience is that papaya trees  grow better in rocky soil compared to soft soil.

Are Bacuris  dioecious  ? I have a huge tall bacuri plant in my garden which every year gives pink-red flowers but no fruits . Any info on this regard would be appreciated

Cecropia plants grow wild in my property. They are quite common in northeast Brazil especially along the coastal forests. Cecropia leaves are the staple diet of three toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) in my region.

Mark
          Could you please let me know the size of your Bacupari. Here in my garden they grow wild. Compared to Achachairu mine are
smaller and more sour to taste.

The soil is sandy but I add a lot of mulch. I first thought it might be dry soil but this year we have had rain almost daily for the last 5 months and the posted photos were taken yesterday I fertilizes every 4 mos with 20-10-20.

Qwertzuiop: When you wish to trade plants or seeds  you have to satisfy regulatory regulations of your country  as well as of the country from which you are getting the products from. In your case you need to contact USDA/AHIS   and  enquire with your supplier in a foreign country
the regulations of his country for shipping these items.
          If you want to get plants or plant products like seeds from Brazil  LEGALLY  it is a long and exaushtive procedure. It will many times prompt you and say forget it !!!!!  Now if a scientific institution is looking for a plant or plant product, the process is the same but the
regulatory authority is more sympathetic and  might accelerate the procedure. This is my experience.