44- Fruta-do-pombo - Erythroxylum sp. (ERYTHROXYLACEAE)

 

Distribution: Occurs in the South, Southeast and Midwest of the country.

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Situation in São Paulo: Rare in the city, but I have already found in more preserved vacant lots.

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How to plant: Plant with difficult germination. Better to sow, with fertile soil, half-light and constant humidity, using pulped seeds immediately. They are not seeds that tolerate storage, losing viability.

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Uses: Ornamental plant, especially when fruiting, when its small reddish fruits stand out. Its fruits are avidly consumed by birds, being a good way to have birds around, which will do the job of dispersing seeds around. Cocaine is extracted from a related species.

 

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MENDONÇA, JA AMARAL-JUNIOR, A .. ERYTHROXYLACEAE IN: WANDERLEY, MGL ET AL (EDS.) FLORA FANEROGÂMICA DE SÃO PAULO STATE. INSTITUTE OF BOTANICS, SÃO PAULO, VOL. 2, PP: 107-120, 2002.