Annona glabra - Pond Apple
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Annonaceae
Native to tropical South America , West Africa, Florida, Central America and the Caribbean
Humid coast or mangrove swamps. 0-300 meters above sea level. 13 meter tall tree.
Ecological value:
Seeds are dispersed during the wet seasons when dropped into swamps and rivers. The seeds can withstand floating in salt water and fresh water for up to 12 months. The tree is resilient to flooded sites. Can become invasive. Fast growing pioneer.
Material uses:
Wood, brown, soft and light in weight. Moderately resistant to rot. Used for making oars, bottle stoppers and as a cork substitute in fishing nets. Fiber from bark. Seeds used as an insecticide. Rootstock useful for other Annona species cultivated in wet soils.
Edible uses:
The pulp is eaten raw or made into jellies or drinks.
Medicinal use:
Leaves and young stems combined with the leaves and stems of Passiflora foetida, are boiled to make a tea which is drunk to destroy flatworms and nematodes.
Other details:
Genus comprised of around 166 species in the global tropics. Seven species are cultivated for food or commercial purposes. Annona glabra fruit has a smooth appearance.
Research:
Michael Sanchez/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Annona Glabra L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:72208-1/general-information.
https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Annona%20glabra (accessed 2023-11-29).
Huxley. A., ‘The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992’, MacMillan Press, 1992
Image source: Daniel Di Palma
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