Eugenia stipitata (Araza, Portuguese common names araçá, araçá-boi Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐɾɐˈsa ˈboj], Spanish common name arazá, from Guarani arasa; also known as membrillo in Ecuador) is a fruit tree native to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

Although the fruit is very acidic when eaten directly from the tree, it can be processed into juices, nectars, marmalades, ice-creams, and other foods with a refreshing taste.

[1] Most of the wild populations are found on old, non-floodable terraces in tropical, white, highly leached podzolic soils, which are distributed specifically within the area between the Marañón and Ucayali Rivers and where the Amazon begins and as far as Iquitos (ssp.

[3] The genus was named after Francois Eugene, Prince of Savoy (1663–1736), an Austrian general who, with Marlborough, won the Battle of Blenheim and was a distinguished patron of art, science and literature.

The leaves are simple, opposite, elliptical to slightly oval, 8–19 by 3.5–9.5 cm, apex acuminate, base rounded and often subcordate, margins entire, leaves dull and dark green with 6-10 pairs of impressed lateral veins, pale green, shortly pilose, with scattered hairs below.

The inflorescences are in axillary racemes, usually with two to five flowers which are 1 cm wide and pedicillate, have 4 rounded sepals and 5 white, oval petals.

[2][3][4][5] This climacteric fruit contains a high level of acidity, averaging pH 2.4 for the juice, and that confers to it a good quality for processing.

[1] The dry weight contains 8-10% of proteins, 5–6.5% of fibre, 65–72% of other carbohydrates and a small amount of calcium, 0.16–0.21%,[4] 10-12ppm of zinc and also some phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

[3] The pulp of the fruit contains 4% of dry matter, 11.9% of proteins, 49.2% of sugars (glucose 3.1%, fructose 33.9%, sucrose 17.2%), 4% of ash, 39% of total dietary fibres amino acids and minerals.

[6] For arazá fruit, the harvesting criteria are the same as for guava: size, color and to a lesser extent, texture.

If arazá fruits are allowed to mature on the tree, the subsequent post-harvest shelf life is around 72 hours, as a result of anthracnose and other causes of decay.

Also, the genetic base is not well studied and knowledge about management practices is limited so that it is difficult to make realistic projections.

The success of arazá as a widespread crop will depend above all on technological developments that facilitate its acceptance on markets outside its endemic region.

Any improvement or selection program will have to involve parameters such as appearance, color, smell, palatability and resistance of the fruit to transportation and storage.

[2] The species suffers heavy attacks from fruit flies, which reduces the normal density of plantings if sophisticated biological control measures are not adopted.