Annona L.
Evergreen or sometimes deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple or stellate hairs. Lvs ± coriaceous. Fls solitary or few together, terminal, or lateral and lf-opposed, sometimes cauliflorous. Sepals 3, valvate, small, connate at base. Petals 6, in 2 whorls, sometimes inner whorl reduced to scales or 0; outer petals fleshy, valvate, greenish or yellowish, ± concave. Stamens numerous; filaments fleshy, connective produced above and concealing anthers, forming a truncate disc apically. Carpels numerous, 1-seeded, soon becoming united; ovule basal. Fr. a fleshy syncarp, often large, sometimes the fleshy carpels only loosely cohering.
c. 100 spp., tropical and subtropical America. Naturalised sp. 1.
The large frs of Annona spp. are often edible, e.g., custard apples, soursop, sweetsop.
