Rollinia mucosa (Biriba)

A fast-growing to 50 feet tall tree from the Amazonas region from the genus Rollinia and the family Annonaceae, is cultivated for its fruits, this species is similar in some characterisstics to the cherimoya. The leaves are alternate, elliptical, long and thin. The flowers sit upright in the armpits, are 0.8 to 1.6 inches large, with hairy sepals and fleshy sepals. The fruit is conical or heart-shaped, about 6 inches of size. The thick. leathery pericarp is composed of distinctly protruding hexagonal scales. At ripening, the fruit turns yellow. The pulp is creamy, translucent white, juicy, and tastes sour-sweet and fruity. The fruits can be used to be eaten in-natura, but the seeds must be sucked out and spit, they are toxic. The fruits can also be used for juice, they can also be processed to juice powder.

The tree is also cultivated in the Amazonas lowland.

We have several of this species in our garden, it sows itself out.

One of our specimens in our garden in January 2008 short time

before the purchase of our yard.

Fruits of the biriba on one of our specimens in our garden in August 2009.

Back to the Agricultural Plant List

Updated by Joachim Jaeck on April 2nd, 2011