Annona squamosa

Annona squamosa L.

Common Names: Sugar Apple

Family: Annonaceae

Habit: Annona squamosa grows as a small tree to 12 m in height.  The leaves are arranged alternately, in one plane, to 10 cm in length with an entire margin and acute leaf apex. The abaxial leaf surface is glaucous.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are solitary in leaf axils. The calyx has 3 unfused, green, deciduous sepals.  The corolla has 6 unfused white, thickened, petals, an outer small set and an inner large set.  There are numerous stamens.  The superior ovaries are embedded in a fleshy receptacle producing a fruit covered in smooth bulges.

Habitat: Annona squamosa grows in Human Altered environments (yards, orchards, farms). It does not occur natural areas.

Distribution: Annona squamosa is native to South America but is now widespread across the globe including on all island groupings within the Lucayan Archipelago.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Annona squamosa has been used medicinally in the Bahamas to treat pain.