habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit in fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

bark on main stem (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

broad, leathery, glossy green leaves borne on short stalks(Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of paler and duller leaf undersides (Photo:Sheldon Navie)

Weeds of Australia - Biosecurity Queensland Edition Fact SheetWeeds of Australia - Biosecurity Queensland Edition Fact Sheet

Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum

Scientific NameScientific Name

Psidium cattleianum Sabine var. cattleianum

SynonymsSynonyms

Psidium cattleianum Sabine

FamilyFamily

Myrtaceae

Common NamesCommon Names

Cattley guava, cherry guava, Chinese guava, pineapple guava, porpay, purple guava,purple strawberry guava, red cherry guava, red guava, red strawberry guava, smallguava, strawberry guava

OriginOrigin

Native to South America (i.e. eastern Brazil and north-eastern Uruguay).

CultivationCultivation

Red cherry guava (Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum) has been widely cultivated asa garden ornamental and fruit tree in the warmer parts of Australia.

Naturalised DistributionNaturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised, but scattered, in eastern Australia (i.e. naturalised in easternQueensland and in the coastal districts of northern New South Wales). Also naturalisedon Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and Christmas Island.

Widely naturalised overseas in tropical and southern Africa (e.g. Tanzania, South Africaand Swaziland), New Zealand, south-eastern USA (i.e. Florida), the Azores, theSeychelles, the Mascarenes (i.e. La Réunion and Mauritius) and on several Pacificislands (e.g. the Cook Islands, Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia andWestern Samoa).

HabitatHabitat

A weed of disturbed forests, forest margins, open woodlands, watercourses (i.e.riparian areas), wetlands and wetter grasslands in tropical and sub-tropicalenvironments.

HabitHabit

A shrub or small tree usually growing 1-3 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 8 m inheight.

Distinguishing FeaturesDistinguishing Features

a shrub or small tree growing 1-8 m tall.

its dark green leaves (up to 8 cm long) are shiny and somewhat leathery innature.

its white flowers (15-25 mm across) have five petals and numerous stamens.

these flowers are borne singly in the leaf upper forks.

its fleshy fruit (2-3 cm across) turn purplish-red in colour when mature andare crowned with the some of the old flower parts.

Stems and LeavesStems and Leaves

flowers in upper leaf forks (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of flower with numerous stamens (Photo: SheldonNavie)

immature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

immature and mature fruit crowned with persistent sepals(Photo: Sheldon Navie)

purplish-red mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

inside of mature fruit showing whitish pulp and seeds

The younger stems are rounded, hairless (i.e. glabrous) or sparsely hairy (i.e.puberulous), and smooth in texture. Older stem have grey to reddish-brown peelingbark.

The simple leaves (4-8 cm long and 2.5-4.5 cm wide) are borne on short stalks (i.e.petioles) 4-10 mm long and are oppositely arranged along the stems. These leaves areoval (i.e. elliptic) to egg-shaped in outline (i.e. obovate) with shortly pointed tips (i.e.acute apices). They are dark green in colour, shiny in appearance, hairless (i.e.glabrous) and somewhat thick and leathery in nature.

Flowers and FruitFlowers and Fruit

The white flowers (15-25 mm across) are borne singly in the upper leaf forks (i.e. axils)on short stalks (i.e. pedicels) 3-7 mm long. They have five green sepals (3-4 mm long)and five white petals (about 5 mm long). They also have numerous white stamens withyellow anthers and an ovary topped with a single style. Flowering occurs mostly duringspring and summer.

The fruit is a rounded (i.e. globose) fleshy berry that turns from green to purplish-red incolour as it matures. These berries (2-3.5 cm across) are crowned with the enlargedsepals (i.e. persistent calyx). They contain numerous seeds in a white pulpy flesh andare present during autumn and winter (i.e. from April to July).

Reproduction and DispersalReproduction and Dispersal

This species reproduces mainly by seed, but also develops suckers.

Seeds are usually dispersed after being eaten by birds and other animals (e.g. feralpigs). They may also be spread in dumped garden waste.

Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact

Red cherry guava (Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum) in regarded as anenvironmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, and as a significantenvironmental weed on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. It was recently listed as apriority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region.

This species is also a serious woody weed of sub-tropical island ecosystems in otherparts of the world. Becuase of this it is listed in the Global Invasive Species Database(GISD), and is regarded to be among the top 100 of the world’s worst invasive alienspecies.

LegislationLegislation

This species is declared under legislation in the following states and territories:

New South Wales: C lass 3C lass 3 - a regionally controlled weed. The relevant localcontrol authority must be promptly notified of the presence of this weed andit must be fully and continuously suppressed and destroyed (on Lord HoweIsland only).

Western Australia: Unassessed - this species is declared in other states orterritories and is prohibited until assessed via a weed risk assessment(throughout the entire state).

Similar SpeciesSimilar Species

Red cherry guava (Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum) is very similar to yellow cherryguava (Psidium cattleianum var. littorale), which can be easily distinguished by itsslightly larger yellow fruit (about 4 cm across). Yellow cherry guava (Psidiumcattleianum var. littorale) is also a larger tree, often greater than 3 m tall, with slightlylarger leaves (5-10 cm long) that are borne on longer stalks (12-15 mm long).

Red cherry guava (Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum) may also be confused withnaturalised populations of guava (Psidium guajava) and Brazilian guava (Psidiumguineense). These species can be distinguished by the following differences:

red cherry guava (Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum) has young branchesthat are rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and relatively smallpurplish-red fruit (20-30 mm long). Its flowers are borne singly in the leafforks (i.e. axils).

guava (Psidium guajava) has young branches that are four-angled in cross-section (i.e. quadrangular) and relatively large yellow fruit (25-100 mm long).Its flowers are usually borne singly (occasionally in threes) in the leaf forks(i.e. axils).

Brazilian guava (Psidium guineense) has young branches that are almost

(Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit of the larger yellow cherry guava, Psidiumcattleianum var. littorale (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

the yellow mature fruit of yellow cherry guava (Psidiumcattleianum var. littorale). Also note the slightly largerleaves borne on longer stalks (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

rounded in cross-section (i.e. sub-cylindrical) and relatively small yellow fruit(10-25 mm long). Its flowers are usually borne in threes (occasionally singly)in the leaf forks (i.e. axils).

It can also be confused with the native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides), which hasflowers in larger clusters and smaller fruit (usually less than 2 cm across).

Fact sheets are available from Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation(DEEDI) service centres and our Customer Service Centre (telephone 13 25 23). Check our websiteat www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the latest version of this fact sheet. The controlmethods referred to in this fact sheet should be used in accordance with the restrictions (federaland state legislation, and local government laws) directly or indirectly related to each control method.These restrictions may prevent the use of one or more of the methods referred to, depending onindividual circumstances. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, DEEDIdoes not invite reliance upon it, nor accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by actionsbased on it.

Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved. Identic Pty Ltd. Special edition of Environmental Weeds ofAustralia for Biosecurity Queensland.

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