Corema album (L.) D. Don, the white crowberry – a new crop

Abstract

Corema album (Ericaceae), 'Camarinhas', or the 'white crowberry', is a white-berried perennial adapted to sandy soils in the Iberian Peninsula which has been consumed by humans for many centuries. It occurs naturally on sand dunes and cliffs of the Atlantic coast from Gibraltar to Finisterre, and in the Azores on volcanic lava and ash fields. It has the possibility to become a new niche berry crop, because its fruits have a distinct colour (white), and provide high nutritional value. It has the potential to spread throughout southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. The round, white, berry-like drupes (0.3-0.5 g), have a strong skin, and usually have three large seeds with a thick endocarp. The fruits can be marketable after five days at room temperature, and some samples have been acceptable after five months at 4 • C. Here, the taxonomy, biology, and potential production system are discussed and a potential marketing name, the Beachberry, introduced.

Shedding light into the health‐beneficial properties of Corema album—A vibrational spectroscopy study

“…These berries (white crowberries, Atlantic pearls or "camarinhas" in Portuguese), which grow during late spring and early summer, have a strong skin and usually three large seeds (pyrenes,~0.5 mm long) within a thick endocarp and display a distinct fresh flavour and an acidic taste. [1][2][3] The fruits of C. album (L.) D. Don have been consumed in the Iberian Atlantic coast since the Islamic period (either fresh or in jams) and have been used in popular medicine as antipyretics and against pinworm infections. [2,4] In fact, they were found to contain flavonols, anthocyanins, and phenolic derivatives (mainly caffeic ester, benzoic, and chlorogenic acids), [3][4][5][6] which are responsible for a significant antioxidant capacity that confers them with interesting physiological properties, namely, as preventive agents against urinary infections, [7] cardiovascular and neurological disorders, [8][9][10][11] or cancer.…”

“…[1][2][3] The fruits of C. album (L.) D. Don have been consumed in the Iberian Atlantic coast since the Islamic period (either fresh or in jams) and have been used in popular medicine as antipyretics and against pinworm infections. [2,4] In fact, they were found to contain flavonols, anthocyanins, and phenolic derivatives (mainly caffeic ester, benzoic, and chlorogenic acids), [3][4][5][6] which are responsible for a significant antioxidant capacity that confers them with interesting physiological properties, namely, as preventive agents against urinary infections, [7] cardiovascular and neurological disorders, [8][9][10][11] or cancer. [9,12,13] This antioxidant effect is suggested to be mediated by up-regulation of glutathione and cellular antioxidant enzymes, as well as by suppression of reactive oxygen species.…”

“…It occurs in sand dunes and cliffs and can reach a maximum height of 1 m, with numerous branches, its fruits being small white berries that usually become pinkish and translucent upon over‐ripening, storing for large periods or heating (due to an increase in anthocyanin content, Figure ). These berries (white crowberries, Atlantic pearls or “camarinhas” in Portuguese), which grow during late spring and early summer, have a strong skin and usually three large seeds (pyrenes, ~0.5 mm long) within a thick endocarp and display a distinct fresh flavour and an acidic taste . The fruits of C .…”

Intraspecific variation in fruit size and shape inCorema album(Ericaceae) along a latitudinal gradient: from fruits to populations

“…Corema album follows a mostly north-south distribution along the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula, with an isolated population in its southeastern coast and an endemic subspecies in Azores islands. Climatic conditions change dramatically along this gradient, from mild and humid in the North (mesomediterranean climate) to dry and hot in the South (thermomediterranean; Clavijo et al, 2002;Bras de Oliveira & Daleb, 2012). The marked difference among populations regarding the hydric stress experienced by the plants (i.e.…”

Germination and Clonal Propagation of the Endemic Shrub Corema album, a Vulnerable Species with Conservation Needs and Commercial Interest

“…Facing the ongoing habitat loss and disturbance in C. album communities, regeneration under natural conditions is really low, both in the northern [7,10] and southern limits of its biogeographical distribution area [9,10,15]. Under this scenario it is necessary to gain knowledge on the mechanisms underlying C. album propagation, not only for maintaining and regenerating degraded C. album populations, but also for future feasible agricultural and pharmacological use [3][4][5][6]. So far there is very limited information on the germination responses of C. album [16] and, to our knowledge, no clonal propagation techniques have been described for this endemic and vulnerable species.…”