Annona squamosa

Species: Annona squamosa

English Name: Sugar Apple; Sweetop

Chinese Name: 番荔枝

Family: Annonaceae

Description:

Small trees, to 4 m. Young branches pubescent. Petioles 9- 15 x ca. 1.5 mm. Leaf blades 9- 13.5 x 4-5 cm, oblong or elliptic-oblong, glabrous or slightly pubescent both sides, base cuneate, apex obtuse or subacute, midvein impressed adaxially, secondary veins 6-8 pairs. Inflorescences leaf-opposed or terminal, l-2(-4)-llowered. Flowers greenish (to yellow), pedicel 17.5-20.5 x ca. 0.8 mm, glabrous, bracts adnate to base or middle of pedicel. Sepals broadly ovate. Outer petals ca. 18 x 5 mm, narrowly oblong, reddish towards base adaxially, inner petals rudimentary, ca. 2 X 2.3 mm, triangular. Stamens numerous, ca. l mm long, connective capitate. Carpels numerous per flower, ovary glabrous, stigma glabrous. Fruits 8- 10 cm in dam. when mature, ovate or globose, tuberculate, glaucous, pulp creamy-yellow, soft. Seeds blackish, shiny.

Photos used under a Creative Commons license

References:

Hong Kong Herbarium and South China Botanical Garden. (2008). Flora of Hong Kong, Volume 1. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong.