Rheedia macrophylla seeds

Rheedia macrophylla
Rheedia macrophylla belongs to the family of the Clusiaceae. It is native to South America. R. macrophylla belongs to the under storey of the rainforest. The plant grows as a tree and reaches a height of about 15 m. R. macrophylla grows very slow, it needs up to 3 years until it reaches a height of 3 or 4 m.
The leaves are simple, elliptic and have a short petiole. They get on an average 26 cm long and 9 cm wide. The leaves stand opposite at the branches. R. macrophylla develops a really big treetop.
The flowers stand in inflorescences. R. macrophylla is dieceous. That means that there are male and female flowers on different individuals. One needs always two plants for reproduction. Both, female and male flowers have a very strong and pleasant odor. R. macrophylla shows the so called cauliflory what means that the flowers are directly at the trunk. The cauliflory has the advantage that the heavy fruits are not placed at the branches that would break under the weight of the fruit.
The fruit is yellow or brown and contains a white pulp. It is 7 cm in diameter and reminds of a lemon fruit. In the pulp there are mostly 4 seeds. The seeds are elliptic and get 2,5 cm long. The pulp that is directly at the seeds is the part that is consumed. It is very fruity and sweet. One also uses this part of the pulp to make juice.

Cultivation
The seeds of R. macrophylla do not need any pretreatment. The can be planted directly 1 cm deep into the substrate. The substrate should be nutrient- poor. Germination occurs after 4 to 6 weeks when the substrate is kept moist at a temperature of about 25°C.
R. macrophylla grows best at a temperature of 26 or 28°C. In its native country the mean annual precipitation is around 1500 to 4000 mm. Because of that R. macrophylla prefers it moist. R. macrophylla grows in the under storey of the rainforest, so one should place her semi- shaded.