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Genipa clusiifolia
Sevenyear Apple
Synonym(s): Casasia clusiifolia
Florida native
A rare plant of coastal hammocks in south Florida, Bermuda and the West Indies.
This woody evergreen shrub can grow to 3 m (10 ft.) tall and is dioecious - having separate male and female flowers. There are few-flowered axilary clusters of male flowers and solitary female flowers. All are white, tubular, with five to six pointed lobes 2 cm (3/4 in.) across that are often tinted pink at the tips. The namesake fruits start out green, changing to yellow, then black at maturity, and are egg shaped, 5 cm (2 in.) wide and 7.5 cm (3 in.) long. Sevenyear apple gets its name from the long time that the fruit takes to mature - which is actually about ten months. The opposite leaves are obovate, dark-glossy green 7.5 - 13 cm (3-5 in.) long and 4-6 cm (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 in.) wide.
Some sources name this plant Genipa clusiifolia while others call it Casasia clusiifolia.
Genipa clusiifolia is a member of the Rubiaceae - Madder family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 07, 2016
