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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:  Magnoliales
FAMILY	:  Annonaceae
GENUS	:  Annona L.
SPECIES	:  squamosa L.
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Annona squamosa L.
SYNONYMS	:  ---
COMMON NAME	: Sugar apple, Custard apple.
TAMIL NAME	:  Sitapalam.
HINDI NAME	:  Sharifa, Sitaphal.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT :  A small tree.

LEAVES :  Simple, alternate, exstipulate, oblanceolate, entire, obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE :  Axillary, 2 or more flowers arise in axil of leaf.

FLOWERS :  Bracteate, complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, trimerous, hypogynous. Calyx made up of 3 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate. Corolla made up of 3 petals, polypetalous, valvate, pale-yellow. Stamens numerous, arranged spirally over a conical receptacle, filaments short, anthers appendaged.Gynoecium polycarpellary, apocarpous, superior, spirally arranged, one ovule in each carpel, basal placentation, style short, stigma tapering and papillose.

FRUIT :  An etaerio of berries.

SEEDS :  Smooth and blackish.

FLOWERING AND FRUITING TIME :  April-August.

MEDICINAL USES

Annona squamosa seed powder is utilised to abolish lice, leaf extract is used to pacify boils and treat ulcers, and the fruit acts as a sedative in cases involving heart ailments and can be used to alleviate vomiting and treat tumours.

The bark and leaves contain annonaine, an alkaloid.

In tropical America, a decoction of the leaves is used as a cold remedy and to clarify urine.

A bark decoction is used to stop diarrhea, while the root is used in the treatment of dysentery.

IMAGES

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