Annona squamosa, Linn.

Family: Annonaceae

Common Name: Custard apple ------------------------------------------------- Telugu Name: Sitaphal

General:

Introduced from the West Indies but now naturalised everywhere. It grows on a variety of soils. Identified by thin grey bark and oblong lanceolate leaves with peculiar smell. This species is recommended for afforestation of bare, eroded and denuded areas. It is a light demander, drought resistant and good copplcer.

Flowering:

Greenish flowers appear singly or in pair in June­July.

The fleshy Fruit

Fruiting:

Fruits ripen in September to December.

Morphology of the Fruit/Seed:

Carpels united into a large fleshy fruit, 5 to 10 cm diameter, warty, greyish black when ripe. Seeds numerous, embedded in a sweet pulp: Seeds oblong and brownish black.

Seed Collection and Storage:

Ripe fruits are collected in September. Seeds are cleaned off their pulp and dried in the sun. Seeds do not retain their viability long.

Seed Biology:

No. of seeds per Kg.
Germination percentage
No. of seedlings per Kg. of seed
400 to 500
70 to 80
280 to 350

Pretreatment:

Not required.

Nursery Technique:

Seedlings can be raised by putting the seeds in polythene bags. Germination takes place within 8 to 10 days. Watering is to be done regularly and one year old seedling is planted.