Annona Species Monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

Chapter 2. Taxonomy and Botany
Forma impressa: Finger-printed - This form is called anona de dedos
pintados (finger printed annona) in Costa Rica. The fruit is conoid or
subglobose in shape, and has a smooth surface covered with U-shaped
areoles resembling finger-prints in wax. Fruits tend to be of good quality,
although the fruit contains many seeds.
Forma laevis: Smooth - This form is called cherimoya lisa (smooth
cherimoya) in South America and anon in Mexico City. It is often mistaken
for A. glabra or A. reticulata because of the general appearance of the fruit
and on account of the name anon, which is also applied to A. reticulata. This
is one of the finest botanical forms.
Forma tuberculata: Tuberculate - This is the commonest form. The fruit is
heart-shaped and has wart-like tubercles near the apex of each areole. The
cultivar Golden Russet belongs to this botanical form.
Forma mamillada: Mammillate - This form is called "cherimoya de tetillas"
(nippled cherimoya) in some South American countries. It is said to be
common in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India, and to be one of the best types
grown on Madeira Island.
Forma umbonada: Umbonate - This form is called "cherimoya de púas"
(barbed cherimoya; spiny cherimoya) and "anona picuda" (pointy anona) in
Latin America. It has a thick skin, with more acidic flesh than other types,
and the seeds are numerous. The fruit is oblong-conical, with the base
somewhat umbilicate and the surface studded with protuberances, each of
which corresponds to a carpel component.
Numerous cultivars have been described, both in the area of origin, where
every valley has its particular type, and in the numerous areas where
cherimoya was introduced. The germplasm introduced to Spain alone appears
to have included about 200 traditional cultivars. Modern commercial
cultivars have been developed since these introductions. NRC (1989)
mentioned such well known North American cultivars as ‘Booth’, ‘White’,
‘Pierce’, ‘Knight’, ‘Bonito’, ‘Chaffey’, ‘Ott’, ‘Waley’ and ‘Orchard’, and
stated that cultivars exhibit a wide variation in climatic and soil requirements
(see also Table 9.2).
2. Annona muricata (soursop)
The soursop has an erect growth habit with a high canopy height-to-diameter
ratio (Pinto and Silva, 1996), although it tends to be low-branching and
bushy, with upturned limbs (NAS, 1975). It is a small, slender, evergreen
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