Annonais commonly known as custard apple or sugar apple in various countries.
Annona is semi-evergreen shrub specie of Annona and native to the
tropical America and India.
The Spaniards originally brought seeds from the new world to the
Philippines and the Portuguese are supposed to have introduced this fruit
to India in 16 century.
TToday it is widely founded in India and other parts of the world.
The tree grows to a height of 3-6 m in height with open crown of
irregular branches. The leaves are deciduous arranged on small hairy
petioles are oblong and blunt tipped of about 2- 6 cm long and 2-5 cm
wide.
The leaves from upper side are dull green, pale with a bloom below and
little hairy and aromatic when fresh.
The fruit is round or oval 6-10 cm long and composed of thick rind with
knobbed segments which is pale green, bluish green or gray green
externally; creamy white fragrant, juicy, sweet and fleshy internally with
number of seeds.
The cultivation of sugar apple requires tropical or subtropical climate
with dry areas. In coastal areas in the wet as well as in dry regions it
flourishes in zones from the sea level to 3500 ft (1066m) elevation.
It grows best in all soils but particularly perform well in sand, oolitic
limestone and heavy loam with good drainage.
They are propagated through seeds and are supposed to have relatively
long life which keeps well for 3 to 4 years.
Custard or sugar apple is widely cultivated in Indonesia, Thailand,
Taiwan and India.
The fruit, bark, leaves, seeds are used.
The leaves and bark of custard apple contains alkaloids and the fruit contains iron, calcium, fiber, amino acids, vitamins, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid.
