Annona squamosa L.

Taxonomy : Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Magnoliales > Annonaceae > Annona > Annona squamosa L.

Description: Shrub or small trees, bushy, 3-5 m tall. Bark dark brown, thin, fissured and fibrous, branches slightly pubescent when young, glabrous when mature, Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 8-20 x 2.5-7 cm across, base acute, margin entire, apex obtuse to acute, coriaceous, membranous, dark green, glabrous above, lateral veins 6-10 on either side of the midrib, almost parallel, impressed above, prominent on the veins and more prominent on the midrib beneath, reticulate veinlets fine and close, petiole, pale green, 0.5-1.5 cm long, Inflorescence usually solitary or consisting of 1-4 flowers, leaf opposed or extra axillary, pubescent when young, glabrous when mature, Flowers bisexual, subcapitate, 2.5-3 cm long, pedicels slender, minutely pubescent,1-3 cm long, Sepals 3, broadly ovate, apex acute or shallow acuminate, pubescent outside, thick, greenish white, 2-3 x 0.3-0.5 cm across, Petals 6, outer whorl 3, subequal, ovate, apex obtuse, somewhat triangular, minutely pubescent outside, greenish yellow outside, yellow glabrous reddish near the base inside, keeled inside, 1.5 x 3 cm across, Stamens many, 1 mm long, anthers thecae narrow, with connectives of ovoid top. Carpels many, subglobose or ovoid, subconnate, minutely pubescent, 1 mm long, stigma oblong, stigma entire, ripe carpels, broadly globose or ovoid in fruit, fragrant, tuberculate with rounded tips outside, glaucous, slightly arolate with white pulp inside, about 6-13 cm in diameter, puberulous, stalk stout, 2 cm long, Seeds many, black with dark brown patches, glossy, slightly flattened, arillate.

Flowering and Fruiting: April - August

Uses: Fruits are edible. Considered highly medicinal by local people. The leaf decoction is given as a vermifuge. Crushed leaves or a paste of the flesh may be poulticed on boils, abscesses and ulcers. The fruits are used for treatment of anemia, diarrhea and dysentery. The bark is reported to be very astringent and the decoction is taken as a tonic. Root barks are also useful for relieving toothache. Additionally, local traditional healers use the fruit to treat burning conditions, vomiting and coughs

Cultivation: Cultivated

Reference

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org