1- Introduction to the Species Annona cherimola Mill. - Cherimoya tree
1.1- Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae Juss.
Genus: Annona L.
Species: Annona cherimola Mill
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae Juss.
Genus: Annona L.
Species: Annona cherimola Mill
1.2- Species Annona cherimola Mill. - Cherimoya tree
+ Overview
The cherimoya (Annona cherimola ), also spelled chirimoya and called chirimuya by the Inca people, is an edible fruit-bearing species of the genus Annona from the family Annonaceae, which generally is thought to be native to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia then transported to the Andes and Central America. Today, cherimoya is grown in tropical regions throughout the world.
Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men". The creamy texture of the flesh gives the fruit its secondary name, custard apple.
+ Synonyms:
1-Annona pubescens Salisb.
2-Annona tripetala Aiton
+ Overview
The cherimoya (Annona cherimola ), also spelled chirimoya and called chirimuya by the Inca people, is an edible fruit-bearing species of the genus Annona from the family Annonaceae, which generally is thought to be native to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia then transported to the Andes and Central America. Today, cherimoya is grown in tropical regions throughout the world.
Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men". The creamy texture of the flesh gives the fruit its secondary name, custard apple.
+ Synonyms:
1-Annona pubescens Salisb.
2-Annona tripetala Aiton
2- Characteristics of the Species Annona cherimola Mill. - Cherimoya tree
2.1- Description
+ The plant
Annona cherimola is a fairly dense, fast-growing, woody, briefly deciduous but mostly evergreen low branched, spreading tree or shrub 5 metres (16 ft) to 9 metres (30 ft) tall.
Mature branches are sappy and woody; young branches and twigs have a matting of short, fine, rust colored hairs.
+ The leaves
Leaves are single and alternate, 2-ranked attached to the branches with stout 6 millimetres (0.24 in) to 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long and densely hairy leaf stalks.
Leathery leaves 5 centimetres (2.0 in) to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) wide mostly elliptic, pointed at the ends and rounded near the leaf stalk. When young, covered with soft, fine, tangled, rust colored hairs. When mature, hairs only along the veins on the undersurface. Tops hairless and a dull medium green with paler veins, backs velvety, dull grey-green with raised pale green veins. New leaves are whitish below.
+ The flowers
Very pale green, fleshy flowers 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long, with very strong fruity odor, each with three outer, greenish, fleshy, oblong, downy petals and 3 smaller, pinkish inner petals with yellow or brown finely matted hairs outside, whitish with purple spot and many stamens on the inside. They appear on the branches opposite to the leaves, solitary or in pairs or groups of three, on flower stalks that are covered densely with fine rust colored hairs, 8 millimetres (0.31 in) to 12 millimetres (0.47 in) long. Buds 15 millimetres (0.59 in) to 18 millimetres (0.71 in) long, 5 millimetres (0.20 in) to 8 millimetres (0.31 in) wide at the base.
+ The fruits
Large green conical or heart-shaped compound fruit, 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, and diameters of 5 centimetres (2.0 in) to 5 centimetres (2.0 in), with skin that gives the appearance of having overlapping scales or knobby warts. Ripening to brown with a fissured surface from winter into spring; weighing on the average 150 grams (5.3 oz) to 500 grams (18 oz) but extra large specimens may weigh 2.7 kilograms (6.0 lb) or more.
The ripened flesh is creamy white. When ripe, the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure. Some characterize the fruit flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry.
The fruit can be chilled and eaten with a spoon, which has earned it another nickname, the ice cream fruit. Indeed, in Peru, it is commonly used in ice creams and yogurt.
+ The seeds
The flesh of the cherimoya contains numerous hard, inedible, brown or black, beanlike, glossy seeds, 1 centimetre (0.39 in) to 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long and about half as wide.
Cherimoya seeds are poisonous if crushed open. Like other members of the family Annonaceae, the seeds contain small amounts of neurotoxic acetogenins, such as annonacin, which appear to be linked to atypical Parkinsonism in Guadeloupe. Moreover, an extract of the bark can induce paralysis if injected.
+ The plant
Annona cherimola is a fairly dense, fast-growing, woody, briefly deciduous but mostly evergreen low branched, spreading tree or shrub 5 metres (16 ft) to 9 metres (30 ft) tall.
Mature branches are sappy and woody; young branches and twigs have a matting of short, fine, rust colored hairs.
+ The leaves
Leaves are single and alternate, 2-ranked attached to the branches with stout 6 millimetres (0.24 in) to 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long and densely hairy leaf stalks.
Leathery leaves 5 centimetres (2.0 in) to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long 3 centimetres (1.2 in) to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) wide mostly elliptic, pointed at the ends and rounded near the leaf stalk. When young, covered with soft, fine, tangled, rust colored hairs. When mature, hairs only along the veins on the undersurface. Tops hairless and a dull medium green with paler veins, backs velvety, dull grey-green with raised pale green veins. New leaves are whitish below.
+ The flowers
Very pale green, fleshy flowers 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long, with very strong fruity odor, each with three outer, greenish, fleshy, oblong, downy petals and 3 smaller, pinkish inner petals with yellow or brown finely matted hairs outside, whitish with purple spot and many stamens on the inside. They appear on the branches opposite to the leaves, solitary or in pairs or groups of three, on flower stalks that are covered densely with fine rust colored hairs, 8 millimetres (0.31 in) to 12 millimetres (0.47 in) long. Buds 15 millimetres (0.59 in) to 18 millimetres (0.71 in) long, 5 millimetres (0.20 in) to 8 millimetres (0.31 in) wide at the base.
+ The fruits
Large green conical or heart-shaped compound fruit, 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, and diameters of 5 centimetres (2.0 in) to 5 centimetres (2.0 in), with skin that gives the appearance of having overlapping scales or knobby warts. Ripening to brown with a fissured surface from winter into spring; weighing on the average 150 grams (5.3 oz) to 500 grams (18 oz) but extra large specimens may weigh 2.7 kilograms (6.0 lb) or more.
The ripened flesh is creamy white. When ripe, the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure. Some characterize the fruit flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry.
The fruit can be chilled and eaten with a spoon, which has earned it another nickname, the ice cream fruit. Indeed, in Peru, it is commonly used in ice creams and yogurt.
+ The seeds
The flesh of the cherimoya contains numerous hard, inedible, brown or black, beanlike, glossy seeds, 1 centimetre (0.39 in) to 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long and about half as wide.
Cherimoya seeds are poisonous if crushed open. Like other members of the family Annonaceae, the seeds contain small amounts of neurotoxic acetogenins, such as annonacin, which appear to be linked to atypical Parkinsonism in Guadeloupe. Moreover, an extract of the bark can induce paralysis if injected.
Annona cherimola fruits
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Cherimoya ripe fruits
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2.2- Origin and Distribution
+ Origin:
The cherimoya (Annona cherimola ) is generally thought to be native to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia then transported to the Andes and Central America.
+ Distribution:
Widely cultivated now, Annona cherimola is believed to originate from the Andes at altitudes of 700 metres (2,300 ft) to 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) although an alternate hypothesis postulates Central America as the origin of Annona cherimola because many of its wild relatives occur in this area. From there it was taken by Europeans to various parts of the tropics. Today, cherimoya is grown in tropical regions throughout the world.
Unlike other Annona species Annona cherimola has not successfully naturalized in West Africa, and in Australasia Annona glabra is often misidentified as this species.
+ Origin:
The cherimoya (Annona cherimola ) is generally thought to be native to Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia then transported to the Andes and Central America.
+ Distribution:
Widely cultivated now, Annona cherimola is believed to originate from the Andes at altitudes of 700 metres (2,300 ft) to 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) although an alternate hypothesis postulates Central America as the origin of Annona cherimola because many of its wild relatives occur in this area. From there it was taken by Europeans to various parts of the tropics. Today, cherimoya is grown in tropical regions throughout the world.
Unlike other Annona species Annona cherimola has not successfully naturalized in West Africa, and in Australasia Annona glabra is often misidentified as this species.
Edited by Ho Dinh Hai
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://www.worldwidefruits.com
2- http://www.worldwidefruits.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonaceae
4- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degeneriaceae
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eupomatia
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himantandraceae
7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnoliales
8- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myristicaceae
9- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona
10- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherimoy
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://www.worldwidefruits.com
2- http://www.worldwidefruits.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonaceae
4- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degeneriaceae
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eupomatia
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himantandraceae
7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnoliales
8- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myristicaceae
9- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona
10- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherimoy
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See Video about: How to Eat A Cherimoya Fruit (Custard Apple)