Annona reticulata

Annona reticulata is a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the plant family Annonaceae. It is best known for its fruit, called custard apple, a common name shared with fruits of several other species in the same genus: A. cherimola and A. squamosa. Other English common names include ox heart and bullock's heart. The fruit is sweet and useful in preparation of desserts, but is generally less popular for eating than that of A. cherimola.

Description

A small tree up to 7.5 m tall. It has several branches near the base. Trees loose their leaves at some times of the year. New shoots have short brown hairs but older wood is smooth and shiny. The leaves are long and spear shaped with short leaf stalks. Around the edge of the leaf is a clear edge. The leaves smell when crushed. Flowers are greenish yellow. They occur in groups where the leaves join the stalk. Flowers occur on new wood growth. The fruit are reddish brown in colour and 10-12 cm across. There is a fine hexagonal pattern over the fruit. Inside there are large brown seeds. The fruit are edible but the seeds are not eaten.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit is eaten fresh and used for preserves, drinks, ice cream, custards, and other desserts.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit is eaten fresh. They are also used for preserves, drinks, ice cream, custards and other desserts CAUTION: The seed kernel is poisonous.

Medicinal Uses

Various traditional medicine uses have been reported over centuries for its dried fruits, bark, or leaves.

Known Hazards

The hard seeds are very toxic, but can be swallowed whole with no ill effects. All non-fruit parts of the plant are quite toxic. Sap from the cut branches is acrid and irritant and can severely injure the eyes. The bark contains 0.12% anonaine, and injection of an extract from the bark reportedly caused paralysis in a rear limb of an experimental toad.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It occurs in the tropical lowlands and grows up to at least 1200 m altitude. In Colombia it grows between 500-1,900 m above sea level. It can grow on poorer soils with different levels of acidity. It cannot stand water-logging. It suits humid climates. It is less suited to dry climates. It can grow in arid places. In Nepal it grows to 900 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Yunnan. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Where It Grows

Africa, Amazon, Andamans, Angola, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America*, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Martinique, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Tonga, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies*, West Timor, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are normally grown from seeds. Seedling trees vary quite a bit. Seedlings are easy to transplant. A spacing of 4-7 m is suitable. Better kinds can be grown using budding or grafting.

Propagation

Seed - usually breeds true to type. Sow in individual pots, not deeper than 2cm, at 21c. The germination rate ranges from low to medium. The seed of many species in this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Semi-ripe cuttings.

Other Uses

The leaves are employed in tanning and also yield a blue or black dye. Young twigs provide good fibre. Superior to the bark fibre from Annona squamosa. The bark is used for tying the frames of huts. The seeds, leaves and young fruits have insecticidal properties. The plant is poisonous and has a potential as a pesticide for non-vertebrates. The yellow wood is soft, fibrous but durable, moderately close-grained, with a specific gravity of 0.65. It is used to make utensils, yokes for oxen.

Production

Trees begin fruiting at 3-5 years. Fruit setting is often improved by hand pollination. Fruit mature in about 200 days. Fruit can vary from 0.25 to 2.25 kg each. The fruit has 13% sugar. Fruit production is seasonal. A tree may bear 100-150 fruit in a season. The season is normally Dec. to March.

Other Information

It is a cultivated fruit tree. Commonly seen on Manus Island and in some other coastal areas in Papua New Guinea.

Notes

There are about 100-150 Annona species. It has anticancer properties.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aanti, Aata, Anona colorado, Anonas, Ata, Atha, Attha, Balam, Chotka salifa, Condessa, Coracao-de-boi, Corazon, Corossol, Fat manao, Fat manaova, Fruto-conde, Gishxaa, Kasjoema, Keradebefo, Kisitaffeeli, Krishna-beejam, Lavani, Madargamja, Mamon, Neoa, Netted custard apple, Noi-nah, Nona ata, Nona kapri, Ox heart, Ramasita, Ramphal, Ramsitha, Sacha anona, Sitafal, Sita phal, Thinbaw-awza, Uto ni bulamakau, Voankobohobo, Weli-attha

References (123)

• Bullock’s heart references
• Ajesh, T. P., et al, 2012, Ethnobotanical Documentation of Wild Edible Fruits used by Muthuvan Tribes of Idukki, Kerala-India. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences 3(3): 479-487
• Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 43
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 202
• Ashton, M. S., et al 1997, A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publications Ltd. p 100

More from Annonaceae

Annona holosericea

Silky annona

Annona hypoglauca

Anonilla

Annona jamaicensis

Duppy soursop

Annona jucunda

Pleasing annona

Annona leptopetala

Annona liebmanniana

Hardshell custard-apple, Posh-te