Malpighiaceae FAMILY

Malpighia linearis

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

The lower surface of the leaf bears fine irritant hairs^[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub

Growth—

Malpighia linearis is a plant mainly of the wet tropics. Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position, preferring a well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil^[2].

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings - cuttings of half-ripe wood, with entire leaves, in a frame with bottom heat^[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Malpighia+linearis>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database) — http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ ↩︎Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin.
[2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[3]Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume. — Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H. · USDA, Forest Service; Washington. · 1974 ↩︎Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
[4]Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory — Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M. · U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service · 1987 ↩︎A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
[5]Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North, — Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M. · 2014 ↩︎A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics