The feijoa (also known as the pineapple guava or guavaste) is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the highlands of southern Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. The plant is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree and for its fruit, which is eaten fresh or used in jams, juices, and other foods. The fruit has a sweet, aromatic flavor. The scientific name of the genus, Acca, honors the Portuguese naturalist João da Silva Feijó (1760–1824). In Hebrew, the fruit is known as פֵיִיזוֹאָה (feizoa). In Spanish, it is called guayabo del Brasil or feijoa, while in French, it is known as goyavier du Brésil or feijoa. The feijoa tree grows to 7 m (23 ft) in height. Its leaves are thick, leathery, and dark green, with a rusty-underneath. The plant produces highly fragrant four-petaled white flowers in spring. Self-fertile, and pollinated by bees, hummingbirds, and fruit bats. The fruit matures in autumn, and is green, ellipsoid, and about the size of a chicken egg.
Species of plant in the myrtle family
Feijoa sellowiana, also known as Acca sellowiana (O.Berg) Burret, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is native mainly to the highlands of Colombia, southern Brazil and the hills of northeast Uruguay, but it can also be found in eastern Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is known as quirina or as feijoa.