Subject: Re: Sugar Plant...

From: [email-masked] (Edward K. Gilding)
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 95 22:10:13 PST

In article <[email-masked]>, 
[email-masked] says...
>
>This past summer I went on a tour of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory 
here
>in Oklahoma City and I was introduced to a very interesting plant.  It 
was
>a large bush/tree with cherry sized black berries and white flesh.  The
>guide plucked a few off for us to try and told us that they were very 
high
>in sugar content and if you ate three or four then whatever you ate for
>the next hour would be affected by the sugar and taste sweet.  I only 
ate
>one, so I didn't notice this effect, but they were delicious berries.  
>
>The guide also told us that some private investors had attempted to 
market
>this as a sugar substitute for diabetics but their efforts were 
sabotaged
>by the sugar industry.  How sad.  Anyway, if anyone has any idea as to
>what this plant is, let me know.  Even better, let me know where to get
>the plant or seeds.  The guide wasn't sure because there was some kind 
of
>discrepancy in the placard labeling the plant.

The plant you're describing sounds like "Miracle Fruit".  A bushy/tree 
like plant that has ovoid shaped berries, reddish or purplish in color 
with one large seed.  Flowers ar small creamy colored with russet haired 
sepals.  It was found in tropical Africa and brought into cultivation by 
David Fairchild in 1919 when he tasted it for the first time and didn't 
think much about them but when he noticed the effect he sent seeds back 
to the US.

The fruit numbs or "masks" to sour taste-buds so it leaves you to taste 
only sweet things.  Its called Synsepalum dulcificum.  Full size 15 ft.
I dont have any specific cultivation information as it is rather rare 
here too (Hawaii).  I see it for sale on certain occaisions but never 
bother to plant one because I dont have room for some big bush.  I'd like 
to try a berry first.

You could obtain seeds from:

The Banana Tree, Inc.
715 Northampton St.
Easton, PA  18042

seeds are sold one per a packet.  I say get at least two because they 
might need to pollenate each other.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 8 Oct 1995 02:47:11 GMT

This past summer I went on a tour of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory here
in Oklahoma City and I was introduced to a very interesting plant.  It was
a large bush/tree with cherry sized black berries and white flesh.  The
guide plucked a few off for us to try and told us that they were very high
in sugar content and if you ate three or four then whatever you ate for
the next hour would be affected by the sugar and taste sweet.  I only ate
one, so I didn't notice this effect, but they were delicious berries.  

The guide also told us that some private investors had attempted to market
this as a sugar substitute for diabetics but their efforts were sabotaged
by the sugar industry.  How sad.  Anyway, if anyone has any idea as to
what this plant is, let me know.  Even better, let me know where to get
the plant or seeds.  The guide wasn't sure because there was some kind of
discrepancy in the placard labeling the plant.

---

From: [email-masked] (Michael L Roginsky )
Date: 8 Oct 1995 16:50:47 GMT

here
was
high
ate

market
sabotaged
of

>>>Sounds like "gurumichama", a tree that grows in the Amazon. I
>>>have no idea that its sugar content is other than plain fructose.
>>>If you can look-up a guide on native plants of the Amazon, you
>>>might get the info you are looking for. They are (fruit) DELICIOUS!

---

From: [email-masked] (Paul Harvey)
Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 02:42:48 UTC

In article <[email-masked]>,
Edward K. Gilding <[email-masked]> wrote:
>...

Limes taste sweet, etc. May have potential against cancer, as it
restores appetite which many drugs take away. ...

>here too (Hawaii).

Grows slowly, likes part shade similar to coffee bean, frost sensitive.
Makes an excellent container plant.

>I see it for sale on certain occaisions but never 

Banana Tree is a good source of fresh seed, there are other sources of
old seed but old seed is dead. Even then, germination is tricky and
initial growth slow. I'd recommend instead:

3-year in gallon pot, ready to flower and bear fruit: $22.95
  Hartmann's Plantation, Inc., 310 60th Street, P.O. Box E, Grand
  Junction, Michigan, 49056. Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Foreign
  available. See Ad and Article in Tropical Fruit News, Mar 95.

---

From: [email-masked] (Gwenne F Lally)
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 1995 12:22:52 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] wrote:

>The guide ... told us ... if you ate three or four then whatever you ate for
> the next hour would be affected by the sugar and taste sweet. 

I'm unfamilar with the plant but not with the phenomenon, which I do not
think is due to sugar content. Artichokes have the same effect. For a
while after you've eaten one, even water will taste "sweet".

Does anyone know what accounts for this, and whether there is a potential
commercial application?

-- Gwenne Lally
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Jay Ostaffe)
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 11:43:53 GMT

Beware of The Banana Tree, INC.  I have had very bad experience with
them.  I have received shipments of tropical seeds in the middle of
winter when freezing temperatures were blanketing the east coast.
Needles to say that I had a 0% germination rate of that batch.  I
would be happy to share a letter that I received from The Banana Tree
(saying it is OK to ship tropical seeds in freezing temperatures) with
any who are interested.