Annona muricata

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Read about Annona muricata in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Annona muricata, Linn. Soursop. Guanabana. Corosol. Coracao De Rainha. Graviola. Suirsaak. Zuursaak. Fig. 209. Small evergreen tree, the size of a peach tree, in general cult. throughout the tropics of both hemispheres: Lvs. leathery, ill-smelling, obovate-oblong or oblanceolate, to ovate or elliptic, acute or abruptly acuminate, glossy above and rusty beneath but at length glabrous, with the minute pockets in the axils of the lateral veins scarcely perceptible without a lens: fls. large, the exterior petals thick and fleshy, ovate-acute, valvate or edge-to-edge, the interior petals somewhat smaller and thinner, concave, rounded, imbricate or overlapping: fr. very large, fleshy, often as large as a child s head and weighing as much as 5 Ibs., ovoid or heart-shaped, dark green, the glabrous ill-smelling skin bearing numerous recurved fleshy spines; pulp white and juicy, pleasantly subacid, with a slight mango-like flavor. Of Trop. Amer. origin, but now common in the tropics of the Old World.—As in all cult, frs., there is more or less variation in its flavor. It is easily prop. from the seed or from buds, and is undoubtedly capable of improvement by selection. It begins to bear at a very early age and is consequently one of the most valuable f r. trees of the tropics. It is grown with especial excellence in Porto Rico, and is common in the markets of Key West, whither it is shipped from the islands to the southward. A favorite drink is made from the juice, and the pulp yields excellent jelly, tarts and preserves. Care must be taken, however, to remove the skin in preparing the fr. for the table. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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