Annona stenophylla subsp. nana
Engl. et Diels; (Exell) Robson
Dwarf custard apple
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Troos van der Merwe
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Troos van der Merwe
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Troos van der Merwe
Summary
Source: WikipediaAnnona stenophylla is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Tanzania and Zambia. Adolf Engler and Ludwig Diels, the German botanists who first formally described the species, named it after its narrow leaves (Latinized forms of Greek στενός, stenós, and φύλλον, phúllon).
Description
A shrub. It grows 1.5 m tall. The leaf blades are 6-12 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. They are papery and have no or short leaf stalks. The flowers are yellow to orange. The fruit are heart shaped and dark orange. The fruit are about 3-4 cm long.
Edible Uses
The fruit are eaten raw with the skin peeled off, added to meat broth, or cooked when green before eating.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw. The skin is peeled off. The fruit are added to meat broth. Green fruit is cooked before eating.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
A paste of the roots is used in traditional medicine in Zimbabwe to treat Sexually transmitted infections and as a snake repellant. Bioactive molecules extracted from the bark of the root are reported to have hypoglycemic activity in diabetic mice. The pulp of the ripe fruit is edible, with a sweet and pleasant taste. It is sought after for eating out of hand and also pressing for juice.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in burnt out grasslands in savannah. It is near the edges of swamps. It is usually on sand. In southern Africa it grows 1,000-1,500 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Other Information
It is a staple food in Botswana and Namibia.
Notes
There are about 100-150 Annona species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Bororo, Dhui, Maroro, Ububese
References (7)
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 31 (As Annona nana)
- Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 8
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 82
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 121
Show all 7 references Hide references
- Leger, S., 1997, A Description of Today's Use of Plants in West Bushmanland (Namibia). German Development Service. PO Box 220035, 14061 Berlin, Germany. http://www.sigridleger.de/book/
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 28th March 2011]
