Annona squamosa
Cinnamon apple ( Annona squamosa )
The cinnamon apple, custard apple or Süßsack ( Annona squamosa ) is a tropical tree of the family of Annonengewächse ( Annonaceae ). The species is native to tropical America and is cultivated in many varieties for their tasty fruits in the tropics and subtropics.
Description
The cinnamon apple is a shrub or tree up to 6 meters high with a protruding crown. The bark is light brown, smooth or slightly fissured. The leaves are alternate and are arranged in two rows. The petiole is 5-15 mm long and is slightly hairy. The leaf blade is ovate-lanceolate rough, 5 to 17 inches long, 2 to 5.5 inches wide and entire. The leaf base is broadly cuneate to rounded, the blade tip pointed or blunt. The top is dull green, the underside is lighter and fluffy hairy. The leaves are largely discarded in the dry season. Grated leaves smell aromatic. The flowers appear singly on young branches or in groups of up to four flowers against the leaves. They are stalked about 2.5 inches long and fragrant. Each three petals are in two rows. The inner are only rudimentary trained and scale-like. The outer ones are elliptic to ovate-lanceolate obtuse, 3 inches long and 0.8 inches wide. They are fleshy, slightly hairy, greenish -yellow color and on the inside at the base reddish. The stamens are clavate, and with from 1 to 3 millimeters, about the same length as the inner petals. The stamps are available when you open the flower to several tubular together and grow together later. The flowers are pollinated by beetles. As fruit roundish, indented at the approach of the stem collecting berries are formed. They reach a diameter of 5 to 10 centimeters. The fruit is to ripen green, yellow green or purple and often frosted. It is composed of highly curved, ovate scales, which easily dissolve at maturity from each other. The flesh is creamy white and soft when ripe and juicy, pulpy, fine-grained texture with a sweet taste. The numerous, shiny black-brown seeds are about 1.5 inches long and 0.6 inches wide and flattened ovoid. There are also varieties that produce no seeds.
Distribution and ecology
The cinnamon apple is native to tropical America, its original area of distribution is unknown. It is worldwide in tropical and subtropical areas of the most popular fruit trees. To the north, the regions rich to Florida, Egypt and China.
The species grows in tropical and subtropical climate in rainy and wet-dry areas. He needs in the growth phase, sufficient water, but can survive long dry periods leafless.
Systematics and history of research
The cinnamon apple ( Annona squamosa ) is a species of the genus Annona in the family of Annonengewächse ( Annonaceae ). The description of the type carried out in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in his work Species Plantarum. A synonym of the species is Annona asiatica L..
The name of the genus Annona was first used by Francisco Hernandez de Toledo and probably goes back to the word " anon " to the language of the Taíno. The specific epithet squamosa derived from the Latin and means " scaly ". It describes the scaly fruit of Art
Use
The fruits of Zimtapfels part of the tastiest fruits of the tropics. For eating the ripe fruits are broken up and eaten or spooned without seeds and seeds from the hand. The pulp is also used processed into ice or mixed with water as a beverage. However, the kernels of the seeds are toxic and cause intestinal discomfort. Dead Ringers Kaute, swallowed seeds with intact shell but are harmless. Poultices from the leaves but are used for treatment of wounds and ulcers against epilepsy. The Blattsud is digestion and is also used for rheumatic baths and fever lowering. The immature fruit, the leaves and the bark are taken to combat diarrhea. The seed powder is used as an insecticide.
Full-grown trees can carry 20 to 50 fruits per year. Since the flowers are open only a few hours for fertilization, the yield can be increased by artificial insemination, which can raise the yield per tree to 100 fruits.