Psidium guajava L. | |
Myrtaceae | |
Koyya | |
| Botanical Name | Psidium guajava L. |
| Synonyms | Guajava pyrifera. (L.) Kuntze, Myrtus guajava Var. pyrifera (L.) Kuntze |
| Family | Myrtaceae |
| Common Name | English : Guava / Tamil : Koyya |
| Distribution | Global : Tropical America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa. Indian : Mahrashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala |
| Description | Small tree up to10 m height. Stem smooth with pealing bark. Young stem 4-angled. Leaves simple, elliptic-oblong, apex acute, lateral nerves prominent. Inflorescence Axillary Cymes. Flower White, 1-3-flowered, tetramerous, Complete, Bisexual, Epigynous. Calyx tube 4-9 mm long, ovoid, densely hirsute; lobes 4, united and closed in bud. Petals 4, white, broadly ovate, caducous. Stamens many. Ovary globose, many-celled, ovules numerous, style subulate. Berry globose, crowned by persistent calyx lobes. Seeds many, embedded in fleshy pulp. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | June-July/November-January |
| Uses | Fruit edible commercial crop. Wood is resistant to insect and fungal attack used as timber for making small furniture’s. |
| Medicinal Uses | Used to treat inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, caries, wounds, pain relief, fever, diarrhoea, rheumatism, lung diseases, and ulcers. |
| Tamil Name | Koyya |