ANNONA FAMILY (ANNONACEAE) 



38. Corazon, custard-apple 



Corazon or custard-apple is a cultivated and es- 

 caped fruit tree distiii<rnished by: (1) short-peti- 

 oled lance-shaped to oblonjj leaves SiA-S inches 

 lonfj and 1-2 inches wide, lone-pointed at apex 

 and sliort-pointed at base, alternate and in 2 rows; 

 (2) lifjht green narrow Howers %-l inch long, with 

 3 narrowly oblong fleshy petals not opening 

 widely, usually a few together in a drooping lat- 

 eral cluster; and (3) rounded or heart-shaped 

 smooth reddisli-brown fruit 3-5 inches in diam- 

 eter, with a network of lines on surface, and with 

 sweet, pale yellow, tallowlike, edible pulp. 



A small deciduous tre-e to 25 feet tall and to 1 

 foot in trunk diameter, with a very spreading 

 crown. Tlie gray or brown bark is smoothish, 

 becoming shallowly furrowed. Inner bark is light 

 brown, fibrous, and almost tasteless. Twigs are 

 green and finely hairy when young, becoming 

 brown or gray. 



Petioles are 1/4-% i"<*b long. The blades, not 

 toothed at edges, are tliin, dull green above and 

 slightly paler or gray green beneath, finely hairy 

 when young. 



Flower chisters arise from a very short lateral 

 twig but not at base of a leaf, the slender flower 

 stalks about 1 inch long. Flowers have a strong 

 fragrance. There are 3 broad, pointed, brownish 

 liairy sepals less than i/s inch long; 3 narrow fleshy 

 ])etals 34-I inch long, less than 1/4 inch wide, and 

 Vf< inch thick, minutely hairy, light green, the 

 inside keeled and pale yellow with purplish or red- 

 dish spot at base, turning brown and falling, and 

 3 inner petals as minute ]>ointed scales less than 

 Vs inch long; vei'v many tiny narrow whitish sta- 

 mens less thaii y\c, inch long crowded together; 

 and numerous tiny separate pistils Yiq inch long 

 with liniry greenish ovai-ies and pale yellow 

 slightly sticky stigmas in a conical central mass. 



The base of the fruit is sunken next to the stout 

 stalk. The aggregate fruit, formed from many 

 pistils, has a coarse network of rhomboidal or hex- 

 agonal markings which show the individual ova- 

 ries. The soft sweetish edible pulp adheres closely 

 to the seeds. There are many oblong shiny dark 

 brown seeds about 1/2 inch long. Recorded in 



Annona reticulata L* 



flower from June to September and in fruit from 

 September to April. 



Sapwood is light brown. The lightweight weak 

 wood is little used in Puerto Rico. Elsewhere ox 

 yokes have been made from it. 



Though this species is widely cultivated as a 

 fruit tree, other minor uses have been recorded. 

 The i>ulp is used in home remedies. The powdered 

 seeds serve as an insecticide to kill lice. A strong 

 fiber can be obtained from the bark. The leaves 

 and branches reportedly yield a blue or black dye 

 and have been ejnployed in tanning. 



Extensively planted aroimd houses and spread- 

 ing in roadsides, pastures, and forests, commonest 

 ill the coastal regions of Puerto Rico. Also in 

 \'ieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and 

 Tortola. It is not known whether this species is 

 native here. 



Puiujc FORESTS. — Aguirre, Boqueron, Camba- 

 lache, Guajataca, Guanica, Luquillo, Rio Abajo, 

 San Juan, Snsiia. 



Municipalities where especially common. — 

 11,38. 



Range. — Native of tropical America, apparently 

 in West Indies and Central America, the botani- 

 cal type specimen from Jamaica. Now widely cul- 

 tivated as a fruit tree north to southern Florida 

 and spreading or naturalized over tropical Amer- 

 ica tlirough AVest Indies and from Mexico to Peru 

 and Brazil. Introduced in the Old World tropics 

 and becoming naturalized there. 



Other common names. — corazon (Spanish) ; 

 mamon (Dominican Republic) ; mamon (Cuba) ; 

 anoiia (Central America) ; anonillo, anona colo- 

 rada (Guatemala) ; anona colorada (El Salva- 

 dor) : anona de redecilla (Honduras, Nicaragua) ; 

 anon, anonillo (Costa Rica) ; anon (Panama) ; 

 anon pelon (Colombia) ; chirimoya (Venezuela) ; 

 tustard-apple, bullock-heart (United States, Eng- 

 lish) ; coeur de boeuf (Jamaica) ; cachiman coeur 

 boeuf (Haiti) ; cachiman coeur-de-boenf (Guade- 

 loupe) ; kasjoema, custard-apple (Dutch West In- 

 dies) ; coracao de boi (Brazil). 



Connnon names in different languages describe 

 the heart-shaped fruit. 



102 



