164 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



last two species, however, are easily distinguished by their leaves 

 and flowers ; Annona glabra, commonly known as the alligator 

 apple or mangrove annona, having glossy laurel-like leaves 

 and globose flowers with six ovate petals, and A. reticulata 

 having long narrow glabrate leaves devoid of the velvety lining 

 which characterizes those of the cherimoya." 



Annona Cherimola, Mill, is the Annona tripetala of Aiton; 

 the plant which has been offered in California under the name 

 A. suavissima is a horticultural form of A. Cherimola. (The 

 orthography Anona Cherimolia was used until Safford showed 

 that it is incorrect.) 



The country of origin of the cherimoya remains somewhat in 

 doubt. Alphonse DeCandolle, after weighing all the available 

 evidence, said, " I consider it most probable that the species is 

 indigenous in Ecuador, and perhaps in the neighboring part of 

 Peru." The presence of the fruit in Mexico and Central America 

 since an early day has led other botanists to assume that it 

 might also be indigenous in the latter countries. Recently 

 Safford has re-sifted the evidence and has reached the conclusion 

 that " De-Candolle is in all probability correct in attributing it 

 to the mountains of Ecuador and Peru. The common name 

 which it bears, even in Mexico, is of Quichua origin . . . 

 and terra-cotta vases modeled from cherimoya fruits have been 

 dug up repeatedly from prehistoric graves in Peru." 



The name by which this fruit is known in Spanish-speaking 

 countries, cherimoya or chirimoya, is derived (as mentioned 

 above, quoting Safford) from the Peruvian name chirimuya, 

 signifying cold seeds. The English frequently spell the word 

 cherimoyer. The name custard-apple is often- used in the 

 British colonies; its application is not confined, however, to 

 this one species, but extends to other annonas. The French 

 use the name cherimolier, or more frequently anone. The name 

 cherimoya or one of its variants is sometimes applied to other 

 species of Annona. 



