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Tropical Plant "Custard Apple"
Annona reticulata
About Custard Apple
Both
in tree and in fruit, the custard apple, Annona reticulata
L., is generally rated as the mediocre or "ugly duckling"
species among the prominent members of this genus. Its descriptive
English name has been widely misapplied to other species and
to the hybrid ATEMOYA, and it is sometimes erroneously termed
"sugar apple", "sweetsop" and, by Spanish-speaking people,
"anon" or "rinon", in India, "ramphal",
all properly applied only to Annona squamosa. It has, itself,
acquired relatively few appropriate regional names.
Most commonly employed as an alternate name in English-speaking
areas is bullock's-heart or bull's-heart; in French, coeur
de boeuf; Portuguese, coracao de boi; in Spanish,
often merely corazon-all alluding to its form and external
blush. The skin color is reflected in the Bolivian name, chirimoya
roia, the Salvadoran anona rosada, and the Guatemalan
anona roja or anona colorada. In the latter
country it is also known as anona de seso. Araticum
ape or araticum do mato are additional names in
Brazil. Some people refer to it as Jamaica apple, or as netted
custard apple, which is translated as anona de redecilla
in Honduras and Nicaragua. Cachiman, cachiman coeur de
boeuf and corossol sauvage may be heard in the
French-influenced West Indies.
In
the Netherlands Antilles it is kasjoema. This name
and boeah nona are used in Surinam. In Cuba, it is
mamon or chirimoya. Some Central Americans give
it the name anona, or anonillo; Colombians,
anon pelon. To the Carib Indians the fruit was known
as alacalyoua; to the Aztecs, quaultzapotl,
and to the Maya, tsulimay, tsulilpox, tsulipox,
pox, oop, or op. It is generally called in the
Philippines sarikaya; in India ramphal, nona
or luvuni, in Malaya, nona kapri, or
lonang; in Thailand, noi nong";; in Cambodia,
mo bat or mean bat; in Laos, khan tua lot;
in South Vietnam, binh bat; North Vietnam, qua na.
Custard Apple Description
The
custard apple tree is not especially attractive. It is erect,
with a rounded or spreading crown and trunk 10 to 14 in (25-35
cm) thick. Height ranges from 15 to 35 ft (4.5-10 m). The
ill-smelling leaves are deciduous, alternate, oblong or narrow-lanceolate,
4 to 8 in (10-20 cm) long, 3/4 to 2 in (2 5 cm) wide, with
conspicuous veins. Flowers, in drooping clusters, are fragrant,
slender, with 3 outer fleshy, narrow petals 3/4 to 1 1/4 in
(2 3 cm) long; light-green externally and pale-yellow with
a dark-red or purple spot on the inside at the base. The flowers
never fully open.
The
compound fruit, 3 l/4 to 6 1/2 in (8-16 cm) in diameter, may
be symmetrically heart-shaped, lopsided, or irregular; or
nearly round, or oblate, with a deep or shallow depression
at the base. The skin, thin but tough, may be yellow or brownish
when ripe, with a pink, reddish or brownish-red blush, and
faintly, moderately, or distinctly reticulated.
There
is a thick, cream-white layer of custardlike, somewhat granular,
flesh beneath the skin surrounding the concolorous moderately
juicy segments, in many of which there is a single, hard,
dark-brown or black, glossy seed, oblong, smooth, less than
1/2 in (1.25 cm) long. Actual seed counts have been 55, 60
and 76. A pointed, fibrous, central core, attached to the
thick stem, extends more than halfway through the fruit. The
flavor is sweet and agreeable though without the distinct
character of the cherimoya, sugar apple, or atemoya.
Custard Apple Origin
and Distribution
The
custard apple is believed to be a native of the West Indies
but it was carried in early times through Central America
to southern Mexico. It has long been cultivated and naturalized
as far south as Peru and Brazil. It is commonly grown in the
Bahamas and occasionally in Bermuda and southern Florida.
Apparently
it was introduced into tropical Africa early in the 17th century
and it is grown in South Africa as a dooryard fruit tree.
In India the tree is cultivated, especially around Calcutta,
and runs wild in many areas. It has become fairly common on
the east coast of Malaya, and more or less throughout southeast
Asia and the Philippines though nowhere particularly esteemed.
Eighty years ago it was reported as thoroughly naturalized
in Guam. In Hawaii it is not well known.
Custard Apple Cultivars
No
named cultivars are reported but there is considerable variation
in the quality of fruit from different trees. The yellow-skinned
types seem superior to the brownish, and, when well filled
out, have thicker and juicier flesh. Seeds of a purple-skinned,
purple-fleshed form, from Mexico, were planted in Florida
and the tree has produced fruit of unremarkable quality.
Custard Apple Climate
The
custard apple tree needs a tropical climate but with cooler
winters than those of the west coast of Malaya. It flourishes
in the coastal lowlands of Ecuador; is rare above 5,000 ft
(1,500 m). In Guatemala, it is nearly always found below 4,000
ft (1,220 m). In India, it does well from the plains up to
an elevation of 4,000 ft (1,220 m); in Ceylon, it cannot be
grown above 3,000 ft (915 m).
Around Luzon in the Philippines, it is common below 2,600
ft (800 m). It is too tender for California and trees introduced
into Palestine succumbed to the cold. In southem Florida the
leaves are shed at the first onset of cold weather and the
tree is dormant all winter. Fully grown, it has survived temperatures
of 27º to 28ºF (-2.78º to 2.22ºC) without serious harm. This
species is less drought-tolerant than the sugar apple and
prefers a more humid atmosphere.
Custard Apple Soil
The
custard apple does best in low-lying, deep, rich soil with
ample moisture and good drainage. It grows to full size on
oolitic limestone in southern Florida and runs wild in light
sand and various other types of soil in the New and Old World
tropics but is doubtless less productive in the less desirable
sites.
Custard Apple Propagation
Seed
is the usual means of propagation. Nevertheless, the tree
can be multiplied by inarching, or by budding or grafting
onto its own seedlings or onto soursop, sugar apple or pond
apple rootstocks. Experiments in Mexico, utilizing cherimoya,
llama, soursop, custard apple, Annona sp. Af. lutescens
and Rollinia jimenezii Schlecht. as rootstocks
showed best results when custard apple scions were side-grafted
onto self-rootstock, soursop, or A. sp. Af. lutescens.
Custard apple seedlings are frequently used as rootstocks
for the soursop, sugar apple and atemoya.
Custard Apple Culture
The
tree is fast-growing and responds well to mulching, organic
fertilizers and to frequent irrigation if there is dry weather
during the growing period. The form of the tree may be improved
by judicious pruning.
Custard Apple Harvesting
and Yield
The
custard apple has the advantage of cropping in late winter
and spring when the preferred members of the genus are not
in season. It is picked when it has lost all green color and
ripens without splitting so that it is readily sold in local
markets. If picked green, it will not color well and will
be of inferior quality. The tree is naturally a fairly heavy
bearer. With adequate care, a mature tree will produce 75
to 100 lbs (34-45 kg) of fruits per year. The short twigs
are shed after they have borne flowers and fruits.
Custard Apple Pests
and Diseases
The
custard apple is heavily attacked by the chalcid fly. Many
if not all of the fruits on a tree may be mummified before
maturity. In India, the ripening fruits must be covered with
bags or nets to avoid damage from fruit bats.
A
dry charcoal rot was observed on the fruits in Assam in 1947.
In 1957 and 1958 it made its appearance at Saharanpur. The
causal fungus was identified as Diplodia annonae.
The infection begins at the stem end of the fruit and gradually
spreads until it covers the entire fruit.
Custard Apple Food
Uses
In
India, the fruit is eaten only by the lower classes, out-of-hand.
In Central America, Mexico and the West Indies, the fruit
is appreciated by all. When fully ripe it is soft to the touch
and the stem and attached core can be easily pulled out. The
flesh may be scooped from the skin and eaten as is or served
with light cream and a sprinkling of sugar. Often it is pressed
through a sieve and added to milk shakes, custards or ice
cream. I have made a delicious sauce for cake and puddings
by blending the seeded flesh with mashed banana and a little
cream.
Custard Apple Toxicity
The
seeds are so hard that they may be swallowed whole with no
ill effects but the kernels are very toxic. The seeds, leaves
and young fruits are insecticidal. The leaf juice kills lice.
The bark contains 0.12% anonaine. Injection of an extract
from the bark caused paralysis in a rear limb of an experimental
toad. Sap from cut branches is acrid and irritant and can
severely injure the eyes. The root bark has yielded 3 alkaloids:
anonaine, liriodenine and reticuline (muricinine).
Custard Apple Other
Uses
The
leaves have been employed in tanning and they yield a blue
or black dye. A fiber derived from the young twigs is superior
to the bark fiber from Annona squamosa. Custard apple
wood is yellow, rather soft, fibrous but durable, moderately
close-grained, with a specific gravity of 0.650. It has been
used to make yokes for oxen.
Medicinal
Uses: The leaf decoction is given as a vermifuge. Crushed
leaves or a paste of the flesh may be poulticed on boils,
abscesses and ulcers. The unripe fruit is rich in tannin;
is dried, pulverized and employed against diarrhea and dysentery.
The bark is very astringent and the decoction is taken as
a tonic and also as a remedy for diarrhea and dysentery. In
severe cases, the leaves, bark and green fruits are all boiled
together for 5 minutes in a liter of water to make an exceedingly
potent decoction. Fragments of the root bark are packed around
the gums to relieve toothache. The root decoction is taken
as a febrifuge.
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