292 



ANNONA 



ANNONA 



in regard to productiveness as well as size, color, form, 

 texture and quality of fruit. In southern California, 

 many large seedling cherimoyas have been grubbed 

 out because they were unproductive, while others pro- 

 duce fruit of such poor quality as to be of no value. 

 Careful attention to culture will assist in improving 

 the quality and size of the fruit, but the only sure way 



to perpetuate choice 

 forms and eliminate 

 all possibility of the 

 tree turning out to 

 be inferior is to 

 propagate by some 

 asexual means. 



Most species 

 come into bearing 

 when three or four 

 years old. Few 

 named varieties 

 have been estab- 

 lished, and these 

 are probably con- 

 fined to the cheri- 

 moya. 



In some coun- 

 tries, the annonas 

 are subject to cer- 

 tain fungous dis- 

 eases and insect 

 pests, notably the 

 mealy-bug. As a class, however, they seem to suffer less 

 from these pests than most other fruit trees. They 

 require very little pruning. 



Fruits must be picked when mature, to avoid their 

 falling to the ground and becoming bruised, -and laid 

 away for a few days before they are ready for eating. 

 If they are to be shipped any distance, they must be 

 packed in some material, such as excelsior or straw, 

 that will allow good ventilation, each fruit being 

 wrapped in a piece of strong paper. The selection of 

 the toughest-skinned varieties adds greatly to the facil- 

 ity with which they can be shipped, p. \\r. POPENOE. 



209. Annona muricata. (Xf) 



INDEX. 



laurifolia, 4. 

 longiflora, 7, 

 longifolia, 8. 

 montana, 2. 

 muricata, 1, 2. 



palustris, 4. 

 purpurea, 3. 

 reticulata, 8. 

 squamosa, 9. 

 tripetala, 6. 



biftora, 9. 

 Cherimola, 6. 

 cinerea, 9. 

 diversifolia, 5. 

 Forskahlii, 9. 

 glabra, 4. 



A. Petals broadly cordate-ovate .or suborbicular, the inner 



ones somewhat smaller than the outer. 



B. Exterior petals valvate or edge-to-edge, usually acute, 



inner ones imbricate or overlapping, obtuse or 

 rounded. 



c. Fr. glabrous, bearing fleshy spines: Ivs. glossy leathery, 

 with minute pockets in the axils of the lateral 

 nerves. 

 1. muricata, Linn. SOURSOP. GUANABANA. COROS- 



8OL. CORA<pAO DE RAINHA. GRAVIOLA. SuiRSAAK. 



ZUURSAAK. Fig. 209. Small evergreen tree, the size of 

 a peach tree, in general cult, throughout the tropics of 

 both hemispheres: Ivs. leathery, ill-smelling, obovate- 

 oblong or oblanceolate, to ovate or elliptic, acute or 

 abruptly acuminate, glossy above and rusty beneath 

 but at length glabrous, with the minute pockets in 

 the axils of the lateral veins scarcely perceptible with- 

 out a lens: fls. large, the exterior petals thick and 

 fleshy, ovate-acute, valvate or edge-to-edge, the inte- 

 rior petals somewhat smaller and thinner, concave, 

 rounded, imbricate or overlapping: fr. very large, 

 fleshy, often as large as a child's head and weighing as 

 much as 5 Ibs., ovoid or heart-shaped, dark green, the 

 glabrous ill-smelling skin bearing numerous recurved 

 fleshy spines; pulp white and juicy, pleasantly subacid, 

 with a slight mango-like flavor. Of Trop. Amer. origin, 



but now common in the tropics of the Old World. As 

 in all cult, frs., there is more or less variation in its 

 flavor. It is easily prop, from the seed or from buds, 

 and is undoubtedly capable of improvement by selec- 

 tion. It begins to bear at a very early age and is con- 

 sequently one of the most valuable fr. trees of the tropics. 

 It is grown with especial excellence in Porto Rico, and 

 is common in the markets of Key West, whither it is 

 shipped from the islands to the southward. A favorite 

 drink is made from the juice, and the pulp yields ex- 

 cellent jelly, tarts and preserves. Care must be taken, 

 however, to remove the skin in preparing the fr. for 

 the table. 



2. montana, Macfadyan (.4. muricata, Velloso, not 

 Linn.). MOUNTAIN SOTIRSOP. GUANABANA CIMAB- 



KONA. COROSSOLIER BATARD. ARATICU PoNHK. A 



forest tree, sometimes reaching the height of 45 ft., but 

 usually of smaller dimensions: Ivs. resembling those of 

 the soursop, varnished above and dull beneath, with the 

 pits in the axils of the lateral nerves often conspicuous: 

 fls. similar to those of the soursop, solitary or in pairs: 

 fr. spheroid or broadly ovoid, varying from the size of 

 an orange to 6 in. diam., green at first, at length turn- 

 ing yellowish; skin glabrous, bearing numerous short 

 erect fleshy spines; pulp not edible. This species, which 

 is larger and more robust than the closely allied A. 

 muricata, has been intro. into Fla. for use as stock 

 upon which to bud other species of the genus. W. Indies 

 and N. S. Amer.; thus far unknown from Mex. and 

 Cent. Amer. The peculiar pits, or pockets in the axils 

 of the lateral nerves of the Ivs. set apart this species, 

 together with A. muricata, from all other species of the 

 genus. 



cc. Fr. covered with felt-like tomentum, bearing rigid 

 stout pyramidal spines often hooked at the lip: 

 Ivs. very large, subcoriaceous or membranaceous, 

 undulate without axillary pockets. 

 1/^3. purptlrea, Mocino & Sess6. NEGRO -HEAD. 

 CABEZA DE NEGRO. SONCOYA. SENCUYA. TORETA. Fig. 

 210. A small or medium-sized tree, sometimes reach- 

 ing the height of 25 ft., the younger branches clothed 

 with reddish tomentum but becoming glabrate at 

 length: Ivs. large, membranaceous or subcoriaceous, 

 undulate, oblong-elliptical to oblong-obovate, acumi- 

 nate at the apex, rounded or obtusely cuneate at the 

 base, 8-12 in. long 

 and 4-5^2 in. broad ; 

 petioles short and 

 thick: fls. resem- 

 bling those of A. 

 muricata but sessile 

 or nearly so, soli- 

 tary, extra-axillary, 

 sometimes opposite 

 a If., inclosed when 

 very young in an in- 

 volucre of 2 bracts, 

 the apex of which 

 becomes more or 

 less shriveled at 

 length, and the base 

 persists somewhat 

 like an outer or 

 second calyx; calyx 

 3-lobed, ferrugine- 

 ous-velvety on the 

 outside ; 3 outer pet- 

 als very thick, val- 

 vate, usually acute or acuminate, sometimes obtuse at 

 the apex, ferrugineous-velvety on the outside, stained 

 with purple within; inner petals overlapping, thinner 

 and rounded, forming a dome-like covering over the 

 essential parts, whitish on the outside, purple within; 

 terminal connectives of the stamens velvety; carpels 

 distinct at first, the hirtellous ovaries crowned by a 



210. Annona purpurea. 



