Ilama (fruit)

Llama ( Annona macroprophyllata )

Llama ( Annona macroprophyllata, Annona diversifolia Syn ) is a tree of the family of Annonengewächse. The fruits of this tree are characterized by a pink flesh with a creamy consistency.

Features

The tree is up to 7.5 meters high and branches often at the base. The bark is aromatic and brown gray. The leaves are shiny, thin, and five to 15 inches long. They are elliptic to obovate. There are one or two bracts, which are 2.5 to 3.5 inches long.

The young foliage is reddish or copper-colored. The flowers appear singly on long stems and are maroon. The sepals are small and hairy. The outer petals are narrow, blunt and hairy, the inner are stamen -like and carry pollen.

The fruit is conical, heart-shaped or egg-shaped and about 15 inches long. It is difficult to 0.9 kilograms. It is dotted with triangular projections. The green to pink or purple fruit skin is covered with a velvety, gray-white frost. The fruit bowl is 6 millimeters thick. Green fruits have a white and sweet flesh, pink fruits have a more or less pink and acidic pulp. The pulp is 25 to 80 hard, brown seeds are of about one by two centimeters size.

Dissemination

Llama is native to the hills on the southwest coast of Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador. The tree is restricted to the tropics. In its area of ​​origin of the tree is also planted. Of course, he only comes up to altitudes of 610 m before, is planted in Guatemala but still at 1800 m. It grows best in locations with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Use

The fruits are used as vegetables. The pulp is eaten raw. Usually the fruit halves are spooned, as the flesh on the outer edge tastes unpleasant.

Documents

• J. Morton: llama. In: Julia F. Morton: Fruits of Warm climates. JF Morton, Miami FL, inter alia, 1987, ISBN 0-9610184-1-0, pp. 83-85, (online).

• Annonengewächse