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pond apple
Scientific Name: Annona glabra
Family: Annonaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Pond Apple (Annona glabra)
The Pond Apple, scientifically known as Annona glabra, is a tropical fruit tree with a complicated reputation. Belonging to the Annonaceae family, it shares a genus with well-known fruits like the Soursop and Cherimoya.
Common Names
- Pond Apple
- Alligator Apple
- Swamp Apple
- Corkwood
- Bobwood
- Monkey-apple
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Annona glabra
- Family: Annonaceae
- Synonyms: Annona humboldtiana, A. humboldtii
Considerations for Pets
- The plant produces fruit that may be attractive to animals.
- The plant has seeds.
Distribution and Habitat
- The Pond Apple is native to Florida and found throughout much of the American tropics.
- It thrives in tropical wetlands.
Ecological Role
- In some regions, such as Queensland, Australia, the Pond Apple is considered a major environmental weed and a Weed of National Significance.
- It is an aggressive invader that can form extremely dense thickets, maturing into dark forests.
- Pond apple is primarily water-dispersed, but native and exotic animals aid in its dispersal.
Morphological Characteristics
- The Pond Apple is described as a semi-deciduous or evergreen woody tree.
- It can grow into a medium-sized tree or shrub with a short, sometimes buttressed trunk.
- The fruit is large, fleshy, and apple-shaped.
- It has whitish flowers with pink markings and ovoid yellow-green fruit.
Quirky Facts
- The Pond Apple is considered a "black sheep" of the Annonaceae family.
- While the flesh of the fruit is usually palatable, it is often considered barely tolerable in smell.
- The Pond Apple was originally imported to Australia in 1912 as root stock for other plants.