''Asimina parviflora'', the smallflower pawpaw, is a shrub or small tree in the custard apple family.

Distribution

It is native to the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

, where it is found from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It is found most often in sandy areas, alluvial areas, and dry woods.

Description

''Asimina parviflora'' has maroon, fleshy flowers in the spring. It produces an edible fruit, although the fruit is smaller than of its relative '' Asimina triloba'', the Paw Paw tree. Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads. Small-flower pawpaws are found further south than common pawpaws, and form shrubs rather than trees, with most plants ranging in height from one to three feet, with only a few getting taller. The flowers are usually smaller than two centimeters in size. The flowers begin as brown buds, then swell to green immature flowers, and turn burgundy or brown when fully mature. The leaves are usually a dark green, and smooth in texture. Walker JW (1971) Pollen Morphology, Phytogeography, and Phylogeny of the Annonaceae. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, 202: 1-130. File:Asimina parviflora leave.jpg, Leaf File:Asimina parviflora flower.jpg, Flower File:Asimina parviflora fruit.jpg, Fruit File:Asimina parviflora bush.jpg, Bush

References

External links

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USDA Plants Profile for ''Asimina parviflora'' (smallflower pawpaw)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15399477 parviflora Edible fruits Trees of the Southeastern United States Flora of Texas