﻿Trees of New York State 223 



ANONACEAE 



Asimina triloba Dunal. | Aiioiia triloba L.] 



Papaw 



Habit — A shrub or small tree 20-40 feet in lieif^lit with a inaxiimuu trunk 

 diameter of 12 inches. Bole short and slender. Branches slender, spread- 

 ing, forming a. rather broad, high crown. This species often forma 

 dense thickets in the shade of other trees. 



Leaves — Alternate, obovate-lanceolate, 4-12 inches long, 2-6 inches wide, 

 sharply acute at the apex, tapering gradually at the base, entire, at 

 maturity dull green and glabrous above, paler and glabrous below, bonie 

 on a. short, stout petiole %-% of an inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in our range in late May and June, with the leaves 

 but usually below them on the twigs, axillary, solitary, perfect, at 

 maturity reddish purple, 1 '/l>-2 inches in diameter, borne on short, stout, 

 hairj', brown pedicels. Sepals 3, ovate, pale green, densely pubescent on 

 the outer surface. Petals 6, purple, retieulate-venulose, the 3 outer 

 broadly ovate and reflexed above the middle and much longer than the 

 sepals, the 3 inner smaller, erect, nectariferous at the base. Stamens 

 numerous, densely packed on the receptacle. Pistils sessile on the summit 

 of the receptacle, projecting above the stamens, each consisting of a 

 1-celled ovary and sessile stigma. 



Fruit — An oblong-cylindric or oval, somewhat falcate, smooth, green berry, 

 becoming dark brown, pulpy and edible at maturity. Seeds dark brown, 

 lustrous, ovate-oblong and compressed, about 1 inch long and half as 

 wide, enclosed in an aril, horizontally imbedded in the fleshy pulp. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather slender, quite glabrous, thickened at the 

 nodes, reddish brown and marked with narrow, shallow grooves. Buds 

 alternate, naked, rusty brown, tomentose. Leaf -buds slender, somewhat 

 tlattened, the lateral buds closely appressed to the twig and set in the 

 notch of the leaf-scar. Flower-buds lateral, spherical in outline, divergent. 

 Pith small, white. ^lature bark thin, close, dark bro^^^l, slightly scaly at 

 the surface. 



Habitat — Prefers moist sites along streams in rich bottom-land forests and 

 on low, fertile slopes. Very tolerant of shade. At its optimum range 

 often founing the bulk of the undergrowth under other species but in 

 New York State usually in small isolated groups. 



Range — Westera New York westward through southern Michigan to eastern 

 Kansas, south to Florida and eastern Texas. Zone B. 



Uses — Of no timber value because of its small size and the character of 

 the wood. The edible fruit is sold in the regions where the tree abound.** 

 but is not grown commercially. The sjiecies possesses some ornamental 

 value. 



