Custard-apple

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Scopapel
• Sugar Apple
• custard-apple
• sugar-apple

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Xylopicron glabrum
• Annona squamosa f. parvifolia
• Xylopia glabra
• Annona forskahlii
• Annona cinerea
• Annona asiatica
• Annona asiatica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Magnoliales, it is a member of the family Annonaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Annona.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Annona squamosa, exhibits a specific distribution across several distinct regions. In the Macaronesian archipelago, it can be found growing in Cape Verde. Its presence is also well-documented throughout various parts of West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it inhabits the territories of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea. Furthermore, the species is widely distributed within the nation of Senegal.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Annona squamosa is characterized by its adaptability to diverse environments, primarily thriving within forest habitats. It exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, ranging from sea level up to an elevation of 1300 m AMSL. This wide elevational range allows the species to occupy various ecological niches across different topographical gradients, from lowland tropical regions to mid-elevation forested areas.

Elevational range max:

1300 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest

Life history

The life history of Annona squamosa is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its habitat. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive buds are elevated on woody branches well above the ground level, a structural adaptation that defines its growth habit. Furthermore, the species exhibits a deciduous nature, undergoing a seasonal shedding of its foliage which plays a critical role in its physiological cycles and resource management.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Annona squamosa is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree that functions as a self-supporting structure rather than a climber or liana. As a terrestrial plant, it is an independent species that does not exhibit parasitic or epiphytic behavior, maintaining a strictly terrestrial existence. The plant typically reaches a height ranging from a minimum of 3 m to a maximum of 5 m, with an observed mean height of approximately 5.37 m. Its structural integrity is defined by its woody nature, supporting its development as a robust, self-supporting tree within its habitat.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

5 m

Plant height mean:

5.36666666666667 m

Plant height min:

3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Annona squamosa is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant does not exhibit succulence, indicating a standard water-storage strategy rather than specialized fleshy tissues, and it does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrients for its nitrogen requirements. The vegetative morphology of its foliage is defined by specific dimensions, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a mean of 11.75 cm, reaching a maximum of 17.5 cm. Complementing these length variations, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 2 cm and a maximum of 7.5 cm, providing the necessary surface area for gas exchange and light absorption within its ecological niche.

Leaf length max:

17.5 cm

Leaf length mean:

11.75 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf width max:

7.5 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Annona squamosa is characterized by its distinct flowering and fruiting morphology, beginning with green-colored flowers. The plant exhibits an inflorescence structure with a minimum length of 8 m and a maximum recorded length of 0.01 m. Following pollination, the plant produces fruits containing a significant quantity of seeds, typically ranging from 11 to 100 seeds per fruit. The individual seeds are relatively small, with a minimum length of 14 mm and a maximum length of 16 mm, and a width ranging from a minimum of 6 mm to a maximum of 7 mm. In terms of mass, the seeds are quite consistent, with a minimum mass of 0.25 g, a maximum mass of 0.3333 g, and a mean seed mass of 0.29165 g. The dispersal of these seeds follows a zoochorous syndrome, facilitated by animals, though it is also noted to be anthropochorous, indicating dispersal aided by human activity.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

green

Inflorescence length max:

0.01 m

Inflorescence length min:

8 m

Seed length max:

16 mm

Seed length min:

14 mm

Seed mass max:

0.3333 g

Seed mass mean:

0.29165 g

Seed mass min:

0.25 g

Seed width max:

7 mm

Seed width min:

6 mm

Seeds_per_fruit :

11-100

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Annona squamosa has 4 reported plant parts identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, seed, fruit, stem.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural medicines
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Parasitology research
4. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Seed

1. Pharmaceutics
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Journal of natural products
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Research in veterinary science

Fruit

1. Journal of natural products
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Stem

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Annona squamosa has 133 reported phytochemicals identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ETHYL ACETATE, acetone, methanol, Anonaine, HEXANE.

ETHYL ACETATE

1. Veterinary parasitology
2. Tropical biomedicine
3. The Indian journal of medical research
4. Research in veterinary science

acetone

1. Veterinary parasitology
2. Tropical biomedicine
3. The Indian journal of medical research
4. Research in veterinary science

methanol

1. Veterinary parasitology
2. Tropical biomedicine
3. The Indian journal of medical research
4. Research in veterinary science

Anonaine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

HEXANE

1. Veterinary parasitology
2. Tropical biomedicine
3. The Indian journal of medical research

Liriodenine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

(+)-O-Methylarmepavine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Fitoterapia

Annonaceous Acetogenins

1. Pharmaceutics
2. Gastroenterology research and practice

Annosquamosin A

1. Journal of natural products
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Annosquamosin B

1. Journal of natural products
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Activities

Annona squamosa has 464 reported activities identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Anthelmintic, Antibacterial, Anticancer.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Current drug targets
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Current research in toxicology

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Parasitology
3. Research in veterinary science

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Current drug targets

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine
3. ACS omega

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antimalarial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Current research in toxicology

Insecticide

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Current research in toxicology

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Medicinal Uses

Annona squamosa has 40 reported medicinal uses identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Plasmodium falciparum, antidiabetic, cancer, dysentery, malaria.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations