Annona L., Sp. Pl. 1: 536, 1753

Couvreur, Thomas L. P., Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Crozier, Francoise, Ghogue, Jean-Paul, Hoekstra, Paul H., Kamdem, Narcisse G., Johnson, David M., Murray, Nancy A. & Sonke, Bonaventure, 2022, Flora of Cameroon - Annonaceae Vol 45, PhytoKeys 207, pp. 1-532 : 40-41

Annona L., Sp. Pl. 1: 536, 1753

Guanabanus = Guanabanus Mill. Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4: 2, 1754.

Type species.

Annona muricata L.

Description.

Trees, 1-10 m tall, d.b.h. 2-10 cm; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves: petiole 7-20 mm long, 1-3 mm in diameter, blade 6-25 cm long, 4-19 cm wide, broadly obovate or obovate to broadly elliptic to elliptic, apex rounded or obtuse or shortly emarginated, base subcordate to rounded, discolorous, whitish below or concolorous; midrib sunken or flat; secondary veins 7 to 16 pairs; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young and old leafless branches, leaf opposed. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 1 to 2 per inflorescence; flowering peduncle sometimes present, short; pedicel 10-25 mm long; in fruit 15-50 mm long; bracts 2, all basal, 1-5 mm long; sepals 3, valvate, free, 3-4 mm long, triangular to ovate, apex acute, base truncate; petals free; outer petals longer than inner; outer petals 3, valvate, 10-15 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate; inner petals 3, valvate, 8-10 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate; stamens numerous (not counted), in 2 to 3 rows, 2-3 mm long, linear; connective discoid, shortly pubescent; staminodes absent; carpels free, numerous (not counted), ovary 1-2 mm long, stigma capitate, glabrous or pubescent. Fruit pseudosyncarpous, 20-50 mm long, 20-50 mm in diameter, obovoid to globose; monocarps sessile, completely fused between them, numerous (not counted); seed 1, 8-10 mm long, 4-5 mm in diameter, flattened ellipsoid, irregular in shape; aril absent.

A mainly South American genus, one of the largest in Annonaceae with about 170 accepted species ( Rainer 2001). In Africa, there are between three or four native species, with numerous subspecies and varieties and of which the taxonomy remains complicated ( Robyns and Ghesquière 1934; Sillans 1952; Le Thomas 1969c). Annona glabra L. is probably of South American origin ( Le Thomas 1969b, 1969c) but is naturalized along the coast of West and Central Africa. In Cameroon it is also found in mangrove areas, but is little collected (e.g. van der Burgt 130 (WAG)) We thus include it in the key, but do not provide a description. In addition, this genus contains the non-native edible species Annona squamosa L. , A. muricata L. and A. reticulata L. (from South America), all of which can be found in cultivation (not included in the descriptions) in Cameroon.

Taxonomy.

no recent revision, but see Le Thomas (1969c), Le Thomas (1969b).