Plant Description
Rose Apple (Java Apple) is an evergreen tree that grows about 5–15 m tall, with short and crooked trunk, 25–50 cm diameter, with pinkish grey flaky bark, often branched near the base and with wide, irregular crown. The plant found growing in deep, loamy soil but it is not too demanding, it can also flourishes on sand and limestone with very little organic matter. Leaves are opposite, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 10–25 centimeters (4–10 in) long and 5–10 centimeters (2–4 in) broad. Base is cordate, apex obtuse to slightly acuminate, coriaceous with thin margin, pellucid dotted, 14–19 pairs of nerve. They are strongly aromatic when bruised; petiole is stout, 3–5 mm long, yellowish green sometimes tinged with purple. Leaves are pink to dark violet when young turning to yellowish green to green with age.
Fruits
Fertile flowers are followed by bell-shaped, edible berry, with colors ranging from white, pale green, or green to red, purple, or crimson, to deep purple or even black. The fruit grows 4–6 centimeters (1.6–2.4 in) long in wild plants, and has 4 fleshy calyx lobes at the tip. The skin is thin and waxy, and the flesh is white spongy, juicy, aromatic, mildly sweet and crisp. Each berry holds 1–2 rounded seeds not larger than 0.8 centimeters (0.3 in) in diameter. The flowers and resulting fruit are not limited to the axils of the leaves, and can appear on nearly any point on the surface of the trunk and branches; when mature, the tree is considered a heavy bearer, yielding a crop of up to 700 fruits.
Despite its name, a ripe wax apple only resembles an apple on the outside in color, it does not taste like an apple, and it has neither the fragrance nor the density of an apple. Its flavor is similar to a snow pear, and the liquid-to-flesh ratio of the wax apple is comparable to a watermelon. Unlike either apple or watermelon, the wax apple’s flesh has a very loose weave; the very middle holds a seed situated in a sort of cotton-candy-like mesh. This mesh is edible, but flavorless; the color of its juice depends on the cultivar; it may be purple to entirely colorless.
Health Benefits of Java Apple (Rose Apple)
Although research is limited, some very important health benefits have been related with this unusual fruit. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Rose Apple (Java Apple) is an evergreen tree that grows about 5–15 m tall, with short and crooked trunk, 25–50 cm diameter, with pinkish grey flaky bark, often branched near the base and with wide, irregular crown. The plant found growing in deep, loamy soil but it is not too demanding, it can also flourishes on sand and limestone with very little organic matter. Leaves are opposite, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 10–25 centimeters (4–10 in) long and 5–10 centimeters (2–4 in) broad. Base is cordate, apex obtuse to slightly acuminate, coriaceous with thin margin, pellucid dotted, 14–19 pairs of nerve. They are strongly aromatic when bruised; petiole is stout, 3–5 mm long, yellowish green sometimes tinged with purple. Leaves are pink to dark violet when young turning to yellowish green to green with age.
Fruits
Fertile flowers are followed by bell-shaped, edible berry, with colors ranging from white, pale green, or green to red, purple, or crimson, to deep purple or even black. The fruit grows 4–6 centimeters (1.6–2.4 in) long in wild plants, and has 4 fleshy calyx lobes at the tip. The skin is thin and waxy, and the flesh is white spongy, juicy, aromatic, mildly sweet and crisp. Each berry holds 1–2 rounded seeds not larger than 0.8 centimeters (0.3 in) in diameter. The flowers and resulting fruit are not limited to the axils of the leaves, and can appear on nearly any point on the surface of the trunk and branches; when mature, the tree is considered a heavy bearer, yielding a crop of up to 700 fruits.
Despite its name, a ripe wax apple only resembles an apple on the outside in color, it does not taste like an apple, and it has neither the fragrance nor the density of an apple. Its flavor is similar to a snow pear, and the liquid-to-flesh ratio of the wax apple is comparable to a watermelon. Unlike either apple or watermelon, the wax apple’s flesh has a very loose weave; the very middle holds a seed situated in a sort of cotton-candy-like mesh. This mesh is edible, but flavorless; the color of its juice depends on the cultivar; it may be purple to entirely colorless.
Health Benefits of Java Apple (Rose Apple)
Although research is limited, some very important health benefits have been related with this unusual fruit. Let’s take a closer look at them.
LK, sabaragamuwa
