Annona squamosa L.

Etymology Genus From its Haitian common name, Menona
Species Scaly; referring to the fruit
Family Annonaceae
Synonyms -
Common Names Sugar Apple, Sweetsop, Custard Apple
Status Exotic: Cultivated Only
Form Tree
Native Distribution Exact origin unknown, probably from Central America

Diagnostics:

Commonly grown in private residences or gardens for their edible fruits, Annona squamosa is a small tree of up too 6m. The alternate leaves are thin, lanceolate in shape, and slightly hairy when young. The fruit is most distinctive, with its "scaly" covering, which are actually the enlarged pistils of the flower, combined into an aggregate fruit.


Interesting Facts:

Its other common name of Custard Apple appears to be used interchangeably between several Annona species, including Annona reticulata and Annona cherimola, with the former being the more widely accepted, at least from online sources.


A small tree at Pavilion's Edible Garden, 2020.

A branch.

Leaf upper and lower surfaces.

Scaly fruit.

References

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Author: Siyang
Posted: 2020-01-05


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