Bayabas
Psidium guajava · Guava
- Names in the 1901 book
- Guayabas, Sp.; Bayabas, Guayabas, Tayabas, Tag., and other dialects; Guava, Eng.
- Names in the 1985 book
- English: Guava; Tagalog: Bayabas; Ilocano: Bayabas; Visayan: Bayabas
- Used for
- Mouth, teeth and throatDiarrhea and dysenterySkinWounds, burns and boilsHeadache and fainting
- Colours
- flowerwhitefruityellow, green, pink
- Native range
- Tropical Americas
- Family
- Myrtaceae, filed in the book under Myrtaceæ
- Printed in 1901 as
- Psidium pomiferum, L. (P. aromaticum and P. pyriferum, Blanco.)
- Printed in 1985 as
- Psidium guajava L.
- Sources
- Page 113 on Project Gutenberg · Healing Wonders of Herbs (1985), page 76 · Wikipedia
The plant today
Guava ( GWAH-və), also known as the 'guava-pear' in various regions, is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava Psidium guajava (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Botanically, guavas are berries. The name guava is also given to some other species in the genus Psidium, such as strawberry guava (Psidium cattleyanum) and to the pineapple guava, Feijoa sellowiana.
Excerpt from “Guava” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sa Tagalog
Ang bayabas, kalimbahin o kalumbahin (Ingles: guava o guava tree; Kastila: guayaba {galing sa katutubong salita ng Arawak}) ay isang uri ng puno at luntiang bunga nito. Psidium ang kinabibilangang pamilya nito.
Sipi mula sa “Bayabas” sa Tagalog Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 603 records of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 54 provinces, most often Zamboanga del Norte (79), Davao del Norte (52), Benguet (29), Zamboanga del Sur (26), Bataan (25), Davao del Sur (24), Agusan del Sur (20), Cebu (16), and 46 more.
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
The green fruit is acid and very astringent. The stage of development when it is best eaten raw, is just before it ripens, for then its acidity has lessened, it is not astringent and does not emit the strong odor, so disagreeable to many, that characterizes the ripe fruit. When fully ripe it is sweet, non-astringent and very bland, and this is the stage when it is best for making the jellies and preserves so popular in the Philippines.
The bark, especially that of the root, is highly astringent and a decoction of it is used for diarrhœa and as a wash for ulcers. Dr. Waitz has successfully used the following formula in treating the chronic diarrhœa of children:
[table omitted; see the source text]
Boil till reduced one half. Dose, a tablespoonful every 2 or 3 hours according to age.
A decoction of the shoots is very useful in stomatitis, cutaneous eruptions and ulcers. Dr. Waitz advises his formula in prolapsus recti of children. It is also of value as an injection in diarrhœa and dysentery.
Botanical description
A tree, about 10° high, branches square and somewhat winged towards the ends. Leaves opposite, oblong, obtuse, downy, aromatic in odor. Petiole very short. Flowers axillary, solitary, white and fragrant. Calyx adherent, the border breaking in 3, 4 or more unequal parts when the flower expands. Corolla, 5–6 petals, inserted on the calyx, curved downward. Stamens numerous, inserted in the calyx, as long as the corolla. Style same length as stamens, awl-shaped. Fruit somewhat pear-shaped, with 4 or 5 ribs that disappear at maturity, 4 or more cells each with many small, hard, irregular seeds. In the Philippines the fruit grows to the size of a small pear.
What the 1985 book uses it for
A record of home remedies from 1985, with the book's amounts and doses reworded. It is not medical advice.
- DiarrheaLeaf decoction, drunk.Boil 10 chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Adults take 1 cup three times a day and after each loose stool. Children the same way: babies 1 tablespoon, ages 2 to 6 a quarter cup, ages 7 to 12 half a cup.Page 22
- Fainting spellsCrushed leaves, smelled.Hold the crushed leaves under the nose while the person breathes deeply.Page 24
- RingwormLeaf decoction as a daily bath.Boil 10 cups of chopped fresh leaves in half a gallon of water for 15 minutes, strain and top up with cold water to a pailful. Bathe while it is still hot.Page 35
- Sunburn and prickly heatLeaf decoction as a bath.Only when the skin is infected. Boil 1 cup of chopped leaves in a gallon of water, then add 2 gallons of cold water.Page 41
- Swollen gums and mouth inflammationLeaf decoction as a mouthwash.Boil 1 cup of chopped fresh leaves in 2 glasses of water for 10 minutes, strain and cool. Use after every meal.Page 42
Summarised from Herminia de Guzman-Ladion, Healing Wonders of Herbs (Manila: Philippine Publishing House, 1985), where this plant is shown as “Bayabas” on page 76. The book is in copyright, so its wording and photographs are not reproduced. Amounts are the book's, restated.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- Analysis of inhibition of guava (Psidium guajava l.) leaf polyphenol on the protein oxidative aggregation of frozen chicken meatballs based on structural changes
- Green Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles Using Psidium guajava Leaves Extracts and Their Photocatalytic and Biological Activities
- Melatonin Treatment Improves Postharvest Preservation and Resistance of Guava Fruit (Psidium guajava L.)