About Vaccinium meridionale Sw.
Vaccinium meridionale Sw. is a shrub that grows between 1.5 and 7 meters tall. Its leaves are simple, alternate, elliptical to oval in shape, and leathery (coriaceous), with a slightly sharp apiculate apex, a cuneate base, and a crenate margin. Its flowers are most often tetramerous, and sometimes pentamerous, with a white corolla that may be marked with pink or red. Flowers are arranged in racemose inflorescences, with 10 to 15 flowers growing per raceme. The fruits are round, approximately 1.2 cm in diameter. They are green while growing, and turn dark red at maturity, giving the appearance of black or violet, and have an acidic taste. In Colombia, this species has been recorded growing at altitudes between 2,200 and 3,400 meters above sea level. Colombia is the only tropical country that produces two annual harvests of this fruit. Researchers from the UN in Medellin conducted field work on crops located in the municipalities of Guachetá in Cundinamarca; California in Santander; and La Ceja, Santa Rosa de Osos, and Entrerríos in northern Antioquia. This study found that these red berries, which are often consumed in processed form, go through changes during their different maturation stages that affect their antioxidant levels.
