Annona

Scientific name

Annona L.

Common names

pond apple, alligator apple, swamp apple, corkwood, monkey apple, cow apple, mangrove anona, bullock's heart, bobwood

Family

Annonaceae

Similar genera

Pachira, Schinus

Native distribution

tropical Americas, West Africa, and Sri Lanka

Species cultivated

Annona glabra L.

Adventive distribution

Annona glabra is introduced into tropical Asia, Australia and several Pacific islands.

Weed status

significant weed in some countries

Habit

shrub to tree

Brief description

Semi-deciduous tree. Trunk base commonly buttressed; bark grey, with prominent lenticels. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovate to ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
to shortly acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
; base attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
to rounded; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
. Flowers solitary in leaf axils; pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; cream or pale yellow with a red center; sepals 3, broadly ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apiculateapiculate:
(adj) having a small broad point at the apex
; petals 6, in 2 whorls; outer petals ovate-cordate, inner petals oblong-ovate; stamens numerous, packed into a ball; stigmasstigma:
(n) the portion of the pistil that is receptive to pollen
sticky, deciduousdeciduous:
(adj) shedding of parts at the end of their growing period, as with leaves; those trees or shrubs that drop their leaves at the end of the season
. Fruit a large syncarp, round to ovoidovoid:
(adj) egg-shaped in three dimensions
, yellow to orange when ripe, pulp pinkish-orange, pungent-aromatic.

Natural habitat

fresh or brackish wetlands; swamps, mangrove communities, banks of creeks, streams and rivers

Additional comments

Though Annona has over 150 species, Annona glabra is the only species found in estuarine habitats. It is frequently cultivated for use as grafting stock for other Annona species with more desirable fruit.