Health

“Health” presents Cambuci

Cambuci is the proposed tree for the eighteenth station of the park. Its scientific name is Campomanesia phaea. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family, the same family as pitanga, guava and jabuticaba trees.

The shape of its fruits resembles a ceramic pot, whose name in the Tupi language is cambuci.

Also called Cambucizeiro, Cambuci is a tree native to the Atlantic Forest, currently found in Serra do Mar (the mountain range near the Atlantic Sea), in the State of São Paulo, and in Teresópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It grows 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 feet) in height, and its trunk reaches 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) in diameter.

Its fruits, which ripen in January to March, have an acidic flavor, similar to lemon. They are used in cooking to prepare juices, jellies, ice creams and flavorings in alcoholic beverages.

The cambuci fruit is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and B vitamins, as well as containing iron and antioxidants. Its consumption has therapeutic effects, beneficial in treating respiratory diseases, fighting premature aging and cholesterol, and strengthening the immune system.