''Annona'' (from

Taíno The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...

''annon'') is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the pawpaw/

sugar apple The sugar-apple or sweet-sop is the edible fruit of '' Annona squamosa'', the most widely grown species of ''Annona'' and a native of tropical climate in the Americas and West Indies. Spanish traders aboard the Manila galleons docking in the ...

family,

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest family in the Ma ...

. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''

Guatteria ''Guatteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. It is the largest genus in the family in South America, and the dominant genus in mature forest. The fruits are berries, borne in clusters on short stalks. Species include:

'', containing approximately 166Species of Annona
on The Plant List. Retrieved 2013-05-28. species of mostly

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

and Afrotropical

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s and shrubs. The generic name derives from ''anón'', a Hispaniolan

word for the fruit. Paleoethnobotanical studies have dated ''Annona''

exploitation Exploitation may refer to: *Exploitation of natural resources *Exploitation of labour ** Forced labour *Exploitation colonialism *Slavery ** Sexual slavery and other forms *Oppression *Psychological manipulation In arts and entertainment *Exploi ...

and cultivation in the Yautepec River region of Medicoto to approximately 1000 BC. Plants of the genus have several common names, including sugar-apple, soursop, and guanabana. Currently, seven ''Annona''

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

and one

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

are grown for domestic or commercial use, mostly for the

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

and nutritious fruits; several others also produce edible fruits. Many of the species are used in traditional medicines for the treatment of a variety of diseases, though their efficacy has yet to be validated scientifically. Several annonaceous species have been found to contain

acetogenin Acetogenins are a class of polyketide natural products found in plants of the family Annonaceae. They are characterized by linear 32- or 34-carbon chains containing oxygenated functional groups including hydroxyls, ketones, epoxides, tetrahydro ...

s, a class of natural compounds with a wide variety of biological activities. The first complete genome for a species in this genus ('' Annona muricata'') was published in 2021.

Description

''Annona'' species are

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

ed,

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

or semi

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

s or shrubs. The plants typically grow in areas where air temperature does not drop below , especially

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and Calabria (southern Italy). However, they have also been known to grow in certain parts of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

mountains in South America and in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. The woody trunks have thin bark that has broad and shallow depressions or fissures which join together and are scaly, giving rise to slender, stiff, cylindrical, and tapering shoots with raised pores and naked buds. Leaf blades can be leathery or thin and rather soft or pliable, bald or hairy. The flowering stalks rise from axils, or occasionally from axillary buds on main stems or older stems, or as solitary flowers or small bundles of flowers. Usually, the three or four deciduous

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s are smaller than the outer petals that do not overlap while in bud. Six to eight fleshy petals are arranged in two whorls—the petals of the outer whorl are larger and do not overlap; inner petals are ascending and distinctively smaller, and nectar glands are darker pigmented. The numerous stamens are ball-shaped, club-shaped, or curved and hooded or pointed beyond anther sac. Numerous

pistils Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) '' pistils' ...

, attached directly to the base, are partially united to various degrees with a distinct stigma, with one or two ovules per pistil; the style and stigma are club-shaped or narrowly conic. One fleshy, ovate to spherical

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is produced per flower. Each fruit consists of many individual small fruits or syncarps, with one syncarp and

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

per pistil. Seeds are bean-like with tough coats; the seed kernels are toxic. Pollination occurs via Dynastid scarab beetles, which appear to be basic generalists within the genus ''Annona''. Those species of ''Annona'' which are more morphologically derived, as well as all ''

Rollinia ''Rollinia'' is a genus of plants in the family Annonaceae. While it is widely recognised as a distinct genus a monograph published in 2006 advocates its inclusion in '' Annona'',Rainer, H. (2006)Monographic studies in the genus ''Annona'' L. (An ...

'' spp., possess reduced floral chambers and attract small beetles such as

Nitidulidae The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family (biology), family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antenna (biology), antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They fe ...

or Staphylinidae.

Toxicology

The compound annonacin and dozens of other

s contained in the seeds and fruit of some members of Annonaceae such as '' Annona muricata'' (soursop) are neurotoxins and seem to be the cause of a Parkinson-like neurodegenerative disease. The only group of people known to be affected by this disease live on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and the problem presumably occurs with the consumption of plants containing annonacin. The disorder is a so-called

tauopathy Tauopathy belongs to a class of neurodegenerative diseases involving the aggregation of tau protein into neurofibrillary or gliofibrillary tangles in the human brain. Tangles are formed by hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule protein known ...

associated with a pathologic accumulation of

tau protein The tau proteins (abbreviated from tubulin associated unit) are a group of six highly soluble protein isoforms produced by alternative splicing from the gene ''MAPT'' (microtubule-associated protein tau). They have roles primarily in maintaining ...

in the brain. Experimental results published in 2007 demonstrated for the first time that the plant neurotoxin annonacin is responsible for this accumulation.

Selected species

There are 169 accepted ''Annona'' species, as of April 2021, according to Plants of the World Online. *'' Annona acuminata'' *'' Annona acutiflora'' *'' Annona ambotay'' *'' Annona angustifolia'' *'' Annona asplundiana'' *'' Annona atabapensis'' *'' Annona aurantiaca'' *'' Annona bullata'' *'' Annona cacans'' – araticum-cagão *'' Annona cascarilloides'' *''

Annona cherimola The cherimoya (''Annona cherimola''), also spelled chirimoya and called chirimuya by the Inca people, is a species of edible fruit-bearing plant in the genus ''Annona'', from the family Annonaceae, which includes the closely related sweetsop ...

'' – cherimoya *'' Annona chrysophylla'' – graines *'' Annona conica'' *'' Annona cordifolia'' *'' Annona coriacea'' *'' Annona cornifolia'' *'' Annona crassiflora'' – araticum do cerrado, marolo *'' Annona crassivenia'' *''

Annona cristalensis ''Annona cristalensis'' is a species of plant in the Annonaceae family. It is endemic to Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as ...

'' *'' Annona cubensis'' *'' Annona deceptrix'' *'' Annona deminuta'' *'' Annona dioica'' *'' Annona diversifolia'' *'' Annona dolichophylla'' *'' Annona ecuadorensis'' *''

Annona ekmanii ''Annona ekmanii'' is a species of plant in the Annonaceae family. It is endemic to Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isl ...

'' *'' Annona foetida'' *'' Annona fosteri'' *''

Annona glabra ''Annona glabra'' is a Tropics, tropical fruit tree in the family Annonaceae, in the same genus as the soursop and cherimoya. Common names include pond apple, alligator apple (so called because American alligators often eat the fruit), swamp appl ...

'' – pond apple, alligator apple, monkey apple *'' Annona globiflora'' *'' Annona haematantha'' *'' Annona haitiensis'' *'' Annona hypoglauca'' *''

Annona hystricoides ''Annona hystricoides'' is a species of plant in the Annonaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habit ...

'' *'' Annona jahnii'' *'' Annona jamaicensis'' *'' Annona longiflora'' *'' Annona macrocarpa'' auct. *'' Annona macroprophyllata'' *'' Annona manabiensis'' *'' Annona moaensis'' *'' Annona montana'' Macfad. – mountain soursop *'' Annona muricata'' – soursop, graviola *'' Annona nitida'' *'' Annona nutans'' *'' Annona oligocarpa'' *'' Annona paludosa'' *'' Annona papilionella'' *'' Annona pittieri'' *'' Annona praetermissa'' *'' Annona purpurea'' – soncoya *''

Annona reticulata ''Annona reticulata'' is a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the plant family Annonaceae and part of the Annonas group. It is best known for its fruit, called custard apple, a common name shared with fruits of several other species in t ...

'' – custard apple, bullock's heart *'' Annona rigida'' *'' Annona rosei''Timyan, J. 2020. Annona rosei. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T141033297A176438833. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T141033297A176438833.en. Accessed on 07 April 2022. *'' Annona salzmannii'' – beach sugar apple *'' Annona scleroderma'' – poshe-te, cawesh, wild red custard apple *'' Annona sclerophylla'' *''

Annona senegalensis ''Annona senegalensis'', commonly known as African custard-apple, wild custard apple, wild soursop, (Mandinka language), and (Wolof language) is a species of flowering plant in the custard apple family, Annonaceae. The specific epithet, ''seneg ...

'' – African custard apple *'' Annona sericea'' *'' Annona spraguei'' *''

Annona squamosa ''Annona squamosa'' is a small, well-branched tree or shrub from the family Annonaceae that bears edible fruits called sugar-apples or . It tolerates a tropical lowland climate better than its relatives '' Annona reticulata'' and ''Annona cherim ...

'' – sugar apple, sweetsop *'' Annona stenophylla'' *'' Annona tenuiflora'' *'' Annona tomentosa'' *'' Annona trunciflora''

Hybrids

*'' Annona × atemoya'' – atemoya

Insects and diseases

''Annona'' species are generally disease-free. They are susceptible to some fungi and wilt. Ants may also be a problem, since they promote

mealybugs Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also act as a ...

on the fruit. ;Insects *'' Braephratiloides cubense'' (annona seed borer) *'' Bepratelloides cubense'' (annona seed borer) *'' Morganella longispina'' (plumose scale) *'' Philephedra'' n.sp. (Philephedra scale) *'' Pseudococcus'' sp. (mealybugs) *'' Xyleborus'' sp. (ambrosia beetles) *'' Ammiscus polygrophoides'' *''

Anastrepha atrox ''Anastrepha'' is the most diverse genus in the American tropics and subtropics. Currently, it comprises more than 300 described species, including nine major pest species, such as the Mexican fruit fly (''A. ludens''), the South American fruit f ...

'' *'' Anastrepha barandianae'' *'' Anastrepha bistrigata'' *'' Anastrepha chiclayae'' *''

Anastrepha disticta ''Anastrepha'' is the most diverse genus in the American tropics and subtropics. Currently, it comprises more than 300 described species, including nine major pest species, such as the Mexican fruit fly (''A. ludens''), the South American fruit f ...

'' *'' Anastrepha extensa'' *''

Anastrepha fraterculus ''Anastrepha fraterculus'', known as the South American fruit fly, is a fruit fly species from the genus Anastrepha. ''A. fraterculus'' is a polyphagous, frugivorous fly that is a significant pest of commercial fruit production in South America. ...

'' *'' Anastrepha oblicua'' *'' Anastrepha serpentina'' *'' Anastrepha striata'' *'' Anastrepha suspensa'' *'' Apate monachus'' *'' Bactrocera'' spp. *'' Bephrata maculicollis'' *''

Brevipalpus ''Brevipalpus'' is a genus of mites in the family Tenuipalpidae, the flat mites.Ceratitis capitata ''Ceratitis capitata'', commonly known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or medfly, is a yellow-and-brown fly native to sub-Saharan Africa. It has no near relatives in the Western Hemisphere and is considered to be one of the most destructive frui ...

'' *'' Cerconota anonella'' *''

Coccoidea Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than t ...

'' spp. *'' Coccus viridis'' (green scale) *'' Emanadia flavipennis'' *'' Gelwchiidae'' spp. *'' Heliothrips haemorphoidalis'' *'' Leosynodes elegantales'' *'' Lyonetia'' spp. *'' Oiketicus kirby'' *'' Orthezia olivicola'' *''

Phyllocnistis ''Phyllocnistis'' is a genus of moths in the family Gracillariidae. Description Adult Adults of the genus ''Phyllocnistis'' are very small moths with wingspans generally not exceeding 5 mm. Both fore- and hindwings are lanceolate and predo ...

'' spp. *'' Pinnaspis aspidistrae'' *'' Planococcus citri'' *'' Saissetia nigra'' *'' Talponia'' spp. *'' Tenuipalpidae'' *'' Tetranynchus'' spp. *''

Thrips Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

'' ---- ;Fungi *''

Armillaria ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the ''Armillaria mellea, A. mellea'' species known as honey fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armill ...

'' (oak root fungus) *'' Ascochyta cherimolaer'' *'' Athelia rolfsii'' *'' Botryodiplodia theobromae'' *'' Cercospora annonaceae'' *'' Cladosporium carpophilum'' *'' Colletotrichium'' spp *'' Colletotrichium annonicola'' *''

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ''Glomerella cingulata'' is a fungal plant pathogen, being the name of the sexual stage ( teleomorph) while the more commonly referred to asexual stage (anamorph) is called ''Colletotrichum gloeosporioides''. For most of this article the pathoge ...

'' *''

Diplodia ''Diplodia'' is a genus of anamorphic fungi in the family Botryosphaeriaceae. Species *'' Diplodia abiegna'' *'' Diplodia abrotani'' *'' Diplodia abutilonis'' *'' Diplodia acaciae'' *'' Diplodia acaciarum'' *'' Diplodia acanthophylli'' *'' Dipl ...

natalensis'' (dry fruit rot) *'' Erythricium salmonicolor'' *'' Fumagina'' spp *''

Fusarium solani ''Fusarium solani'' is a species complex of at least 26 closely related filamentous fungi in the division Ascomycota, family Nectriaceae. It is the anamorph of '' Nectria haematococca''. It is a common soil fungus and colonist of plant mater ...

'' *''

Gloeosporium ''Gloeosporium'' is a genus of fungi belonging to the family Dermateaceae. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution. Species Species: *'' Gloeosporium acaciae'' *'' Gloeosporium acanthophylli'' *'' Gloeosporium aceris'' *'' Gloeosporium ...

'' spp *''

Glomerella cingulata ''Glomerella cingulata'' is a fungal plant pathogen, being the name of the sexual stage (teleomorph) while the more commonly referred to asexual stage ( anamorph) is called ''Colletotrichum gloeosporioides''. For most of this article the pathoge ...

'' *'' Isariopsis anonarum'' *'' Monilia'' spp *'' Nectria episphaeria'' *'' Oidium'' spp *'' Phakopsora cherimolae'' *''

Phomopsis ''Phomopsis'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi in the family Valsaceae. Species Species include: * '' Phomopsis arnoldiae'' * '' Phomopsis asparagi'' * '' Phomopsis asparagicola'' * '' Phomopsis azadirachtae'' * '' Phomopsis cannabina'' * '' Phomo ...

'' spp *'' Phomopsis annonacearum'' *'' Phyllosticta'' spp *'' Phythium'' spp *'' Phytophtora palmivora'' *'' Phytophtora parasitica'' *'' Rhizoctonia noxia'' *'' Rhizoctonia solani'' *''

Rhizoctonia ''Rhizoctonia'' is a genus of fungi in the order Cantharellales. Species form thin, effused, corticioid basidiocarps (fruit bodies), but are most frequently found in their sterile, anamorphic state. ''Rhizoctonia'' species are saprotrophic, bu ...

'' spp *''

Rhizopus nigricans ''Rhizopus stolonifer'' is commonly known as white bread mold. It is a member of ''Zygomycota'' and considered the most important species in the genus ''Rhizopus''. It is one of the most common fungi in the world and has a global distribution al ...

'' *''Rhizopus stolonifer'' *''Salssetia oleare'' *''Uredo cherimola'' *''Verticillium'' spp (wilt) *''Zignoella annonicola'' ---- ;Nematodes *''Cephalobidae'' spp. *''Dorylaimidae'' spp. *''Gracilacus'' spp. *''Helicotylenchus'' spp. *''Hemicycliophora'' spp. *''Hoplolaimidae'' spp. *''Meloidogyne incognita'' spp. *''Pratylenchus'' spp. *''Paratylenchus micoletzky. Rhabditis'' spp. *''Tylenchorhynchus'' spp. *''Xiphinema americanum'' ---- ;Algae *''Cephaleuros virescens'' *''Cephalosporium'' spp. *''Paecilomyces'' spp. ---- ;Diseases *Fruit rot

References

External links

* *
Type Collections of Neotropical Annonaceae – ''Annona'' – has pictures and details on these and other ''Annona'' species

Images

File:Atemola (cross of Annona cherimola and Annona squamosa).jpg, Atemoya (''A. cherimola × A. squamosa'') File:Cherimoya plantage hg.jpg, Cherimoya (''A. cherimola'') plantation File:Annona muricata-guanábana.jpg, Soursop (''Annona muricata, A. muricata'') File:Sugar-apples 5, Taitung County, Dec 06.JPG, Sugar apples (''Annona squamosa, A. squamosa'') File:Anona-custard-apple-inside1.jpg, Sugar Apple (''Annona squamosa, A. squamosa'') interior File:Anona-custard-apple-inside2.jpg, Sugar apple interior File:Anona-custard-apple-outside.jpg, Sugar apple exterior File:Annona_muricata2.jpg, ''Annona muricata'' File:Araticum 3.jpg, ''A.crassiflora'' fruit File:Annona salzmannii27.JPG, The fruit of ''A. salzmannii'' File:Annona squamosa (Custurd Apple) flower in Hyderabad W IMG 7408.jpg, ''

'' flower and leaves in Hyderabad, India File:Annona glabra fl.jpg, ''

'' fruit. File:Annona cherimola fruit, Pedra Bela, Brazil.jpg, ''

'' fruit, Pedra Bela, Brazil Halved annona fruit

{{taxonbar, from=Q275737 Annona, Tropical fruit Annonaceae genera