[fey-yoh-uh, -hoh-uh] 
| 1. | a shrub, Feijoa sellowiana, of the myrtle family, native to South America, bearing edible, greenish, plumlike fruit. |
| 2. | the fruit of this shrub. |
| fei·jo·a (fā-zhô'ə, -jō'-, -hō'-) n. An evergreen shrub (Acca sellowiana syn. Feijoa sellowiana) native to South America and cultivated as an ornamental and for its sweet, tart fruit. Also called pineapple guava. [New Latin Feijoa, former genus name, after João da Silva Feijó (1760-1824), Brazilian soldier and naturalist.] |
feijoa
(species Feijoa sellowiana), small tree of the family Myrtaceae, related to the guava and often called pineapple guava. It is native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Argentina and is cultivated in mild, dry climates for its fruit. The feijoa was introduced into southern Europe in 1890 and into California about 1900.
Learn more about feijoa with a free trial on Britannica.com.