Annona reticulata

Annona reticulata
Custard Apple or Wild Sweetsop
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Genus: Annona
Species: A. reticulata
Binomial name
Annona reticulata
L.
Native range of A. reticulata
Synonyms

Annona humboldtiana Kunth
Annona humboldtii Dunal[1]
Annona excelsa Kunth
Annona laevis Kunth
Annona longifolia Sessé & Moc.
Annona riparia Kunth
Rollinia mucosa (Jacq.) Baill.[2]
Rollinia deliciosa Saff.
Annona mucosa Jacq.
Rollinia orthopetala A. DC.
Rollinia pulchrinervia A. DC.
Rollinia sieberi A. DC. [3]

Annona reticulata is a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the plant family Annonaceae.[4] It is best known for its fruit, called custard-apple, a name it shares with fruits of other species from the same genus: A. cherimola[5] and A. squamosa[6] or sometimes it is called wild-sweetsop, bullock's-heart, or ox-heart. The flavor of the fruit is sweet and pleasant, but less popular than that of A. cherimola.

Contents

Description

It is a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree reaching 8 metres (26 ft) to 10 metres (33 ft) tall with an open, irregular crown.[7]

Stems and leaves
The slender leaves are not hairy, straight and pointed at the apex (in some varieties wrinkled), 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) wide.[7]
Flowers
The yellow-green flowers are generally in clusters of three or four 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) diameter, with three long outer petals and three very small inner ones.[7]
Fruits and reproduction
The fruit is variable in shape: heart-shaped or spherical. The size ranges from 7 centimetres (2.8 in) to 1 centimetre (0.39 in), depending on the cultivar. When ripe, the fruit is brown or yellowish, with red highlights and a varying degree of reticulation, depending again on the variety. The flesh varies from juicy and very aromatic to hard with a repulsive taste.[7]

Distribution and habitat

Possibly a native of the Caribbean[8] and Central America,[1] Annona reticulata is now pantropical[8] and can be found growing between altitudes of 0 metres (0 ft) to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in areas of Central America that have alternating seasons.[7]

Cultivated and naturalized[8] in many parts of the world including Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India, Australia, and West Africa.

Native
Nearctic:
Central Mexico: Veracruz
Neotropic:
Central America: Belize, Chiapas, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Trinidad]], Jamaica
Northern South America: Guyana, Venezuela
Brazil: Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Para, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
Western South America: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay[3][9]

References

  1. ^ a b Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (1997-07-11). "Taxon: Annona reticulata L.". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?3498. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  2. ^ Missouri Botanical Garden (1753). "Annona reticulata L.". Tropicos. http://www.tropicos.org/NameSynonyms.aspx?nameid=1600671. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  3. ^ a b Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (2000-12-15). "Taxon: Rollinia mucosa (Jacq.) Baill.". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?32035. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  4. ^ Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "PLANTS Profile, Annona reticulata L.". The PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ANRE. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  5. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (1997-07-11). "Taxon: Annona cherimola Mill.". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?3479. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
  6. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (1997-07-11). "Taxon: Annona squamosa L.". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?3503. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
  7. ^ a b c d e Mahdeem, H. (1998-07-05). "Annona reticulata". Neglected Crops. Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Purdue University. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/annonas.html#Annona%20reticulata. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  8. ^ a b c Aluka. "Entry for Annona reticulata Linn. [family ANNONACEAE"]. African Plants. Ithaka Harbors, Inc. http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.UPWTA.1_232&pgs=&cookieSet=1. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  9. ^ Bioversity International. [species_id=101 "Result set for: Annonaceae Annona reticulata"]. New World Fruits Database. http://www.bioversityinternational.org/databases/new_world_fruits_database/detail.html?tx_wfqbe_pi1[species_id]=101. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Annona_reticulata Annona reticulata] at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Annona reticulata at Wikispecies