Annona nutans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Annona nutans |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Annona
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| Species: |
nutans
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| Synonyms | |
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Annona nanofruticosa Herzog |
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Annona nutans is a type of plant that belongs to the Annonaceae family. You can find it growing naturally in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. A Swedish plant expert named Robert Elias Fries first described this plant. He gave it the name nutans because its flower stems (called peduncles) bend downwards, making the flowers look like they are nodding. Nutans means "nodding" in Latin.
Contents
About the Plant
This plant grows as a bush, reaching about 5 to 6 meters (about 16 to 20 feet) tall. Its branches have small, brownish spots called lenticels.
Leaves
The leaves of Annona nutans are thin and oval-shaped. They are usually 3 to 5 centimeters long and 2.5 to 3.2 centimeters wide. The tip of each leaf is rounded but ends in a tiny, sharp point. The top surface of the leaves is smooth, with no hairs. The bottom surface is also smooth, except for some hairs along the main vein and smaller veins when the leaves are young. Each side of the main vein has about 10 smaller veins branching off. The leaf stems, called petioles, are about 2 millimeters long and have a small groove on their upper side.
Flowers
The flower stems, or peduncles, are 2.5 to 4 centimeters long and bend downwards. They usually grow opposite a leaf, either alone or in pairs. Each peduncle has two small, rust-colored hairy leaves called bracts: one at its base and another in the middle.
The flower's sepals are joined together to form a cup-like structure called a calyx. This calyx has triangular parts that come to a point and is covered in rust-colored silky hairs on the outside. The petals are also joined, forming a corolla that is 1.5 to 2.3 centimeters wide. This corolla has three wide parts that alternate with three narrow parts. The outside of the corolla is covered in fine, rust-colored hairs. Inside, the corolla is yellow to ochre (a yellowish-brown color) with purple spots.
The male parts of the flower, called stamen, are 1.8 to 2.2 millimeters long. The female parts, called carpels, form a cone-shaped structure. The ovaries are small, about 0.9 to 1 millimeter long, and have four sides. The fleshy styles are also about 0.9 to 1 millimeter long and end in oval-shaped stigmas. The outermost styles have fine, tiny hairs.
Fruit
When the fruit of Annona nutans is ripe, it turns orange. It is about 5 centimeters wide and 7 centimeters long.
How it Reproduces
The pollen of Annona nutans is released in groups of four, which stay together permanently.
Where it Lives
This plant has been found growing in open fields, sandy areas, and valleys.
What it's Used For
In 1914, an American botanist named William Edwin Safford wrote that this plant was edible. People in Brazil have been reported to eat the soft inside part of the fresh, wild fruit.
See also
In Spanish: Annona nutans para niños
