Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret, Myrtaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific)).
Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment (U.S. (Florida))).

Other Latin names:  Feijoa sellowiana (O. Berg) O. Berg; Orthostemon sellowianus O. Berg

Common name(s): [more details]

English: pineapple guava

Spanish: falso guayabo, guayaba brasilera, guayaba chilena

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Evergreen shrub or small tree, branches, buds and leaf undersides tomentose with short white trichomes; leaves opposite, elliptical to ovate, 3-8 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, margin entire, apex obtuse, usually rounded at the base, upper surface glossy dark green, under white tomentose; flowers single in the lowest 2 or 4 leaf axils of the current year's growth, 3-4 cm wide, 4 petals, broad elliptic-spoon shaped, recurved at the ends, whitish with red center, sepals 4; stamens numerous, to 2.5 cm long, carmine, anthers yellow; fruit an ovate, 5 cm long berry, with remnants of the calyx on the tip, yellow-green, edible, tastes somewhat like a pear." (Krüssmann, 1977; p. 65).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Caledonia, "d'introduction récente et à présent peu cultivé" (MacKee, 1994; p. 106).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Brazil, Argentina (Misiones), Paraguay, Uruguay; widely cultivated in subtropics (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 97) "Potential invader".
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 106) Voucher cited: MacKee 45991
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 130) Voucher cited: CHR 170465

Comments:  A potential invasive species in Hawai‘i (Meyer, 2000; p. 97).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Acca sellowiana, please let us know.