Annona montana

Annona montana

The mountain soursop or wild soursop (Annona montana Macfad.) is an arboreal species belonging to the Annonaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta division,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Magnoliidae,
Order Magnoliales,
Annonaceae family,
Genus Annona,
Species A. montana.
The terms are synonyms:
– Annona marcgravii Mart.;
– Annona montana f. marcgravii (Mart.) Porto;
– Annona montana subsp. marcgravii (Mart.) Porto;
– Annona muricata Vell.;
– Annona pisonis Mart.;
– Annona reticulata Vell.;
– Annona sphaerocarpa Splitg..

Etymology –
The term Annona is the Latinized form of the vernacular name attributed to this plant by the Taino Indians of America.
The specific montana epithet comes from mons montis monte: of the mountains, mountain, reference to the growth horizon (1000-1400 m), even if the species actually grows mainly at low altitudes, between 0 and 650 m a.s.l..

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Annona montana is a tree native to Central America, the Amazon and the Caribbean islands. This plant grows in Central America (Costa Rica and Panama), South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), the Caribbean Islands and North America in southern Florida.
Its natural habitat is usually along the banks of watercourses, in mountainous areas, but sometimes descending almost to sea level, between just over 0 and 650 m a.s.l..

Description –
Annona montana is an evergreen tree or shrub up to 6 meters tall, which branches near the base, with a very irregular crown.
The leaves are alternate and simple, elliptical or lanceolate in shape, of variable length up to about 25 cm and width up to 8 cm; they have a glossy intense green color on the upper side, paler and opaque on the lower side; if they are rubbed, they give off an intense smell.
The flowers originate directly on the branches, usually solitary with a corolla formed by six yellow petals, three external fleshy ones, about 5 cm long and thickened at the apex, and three internal ones, about 4 cm long, almost closed.
The fruit is a globose syncarp up to 15 cm in diameter, with remains of the gynoecium like thorns, with dark green skin. The pulp is fibrous, yellow in color, aromatic, acidic and bitter and contains many seeds.
The seeds, which have a short-term germinability, are elliptical, compressed, about 15 mm long and 6 mm broad, of a brown-yellow colour.

Cultivation –
Annona montana is a plant whose fruit is edible and is mainly harvested in nature and used locally.
It is occasionally grown, both for its edible fruit and as an ornamental plant, and the fruit is occasionally found for sale in local markets.
THERE. montana is closely related to Annona muricata, but has a wider crown and shiny leaves, it is also a little more resistant than this species and bears fruit all year round. It tolerates short drops in temperature down to -4°C when fully grown. However, it is little cultivated due to the lower quality of its fruits compared to other annonas, it is not very demanding in terms of soil and can be cultivated marginally even in warm temperate climate zones. It is less demanding about humidity, also withstanding periods of drought and for these reasons it is often used as a rootstock for other annona, in particular the muricata.
It is a plant of the humid tropics, where it can be grown at altitudes from sea level up to 2000 metres, however it grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are between 16 and 26 °C, but can tolerate 14-32 °C.
It prefers an average annual rainfall between 900 and 1,700 mm, but tolerates 640 – 4,000 mm.
It grows best in a sunny position and, from a soil point of view, tolerates a wide range of well-drained and fertile soils but prefers a moist, sandy substrate with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, tolerating a general range between 5 and 8.7.
Trees take 5 – 6 years from seed before producing fruit but can start producing fruit when only 2 – 3 years old. In some areas, with a suitable climate, the tree can flower and produce fruit all year round.
Propagation can be by seed. In the nursery it is recommended to place the seed in single pots no deeper than 2 cm.
The seeds can be sown directly in the field or in a nursery.
The seed has a hard husk and can benefit from scarification before sowing to speed germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of near-boiling water over the seeds (being careful not to cook them) and then soaking them for 12 to 24 hours in warm water. They should have absorbed the moisture and swelled by now; if not, carefully make a cut in the seed coat (taking care not to damage the embryo) and soak for another 12 hours before sowing.
Another method of propagation is through semi-mature cuttings.

Customs and Traditions –
Annona montana is a plant known by various common names; the most common are: mountain soursop, mountain sop, wild soursop (English); schleimapfel (German); guanábana cimarrona, guanábana, guanábana de loma, guanábana de monte, guanábana de perro, taragus, turagua (Spanish); corossolier bâtard (French); araticu (Guarani); hegyi annona (Hungarian); araticum, araticum açú, araticum apé (Portuguese); anona (Slovak).
In edible use, the raw fruits of the plant are consumed which have a juicy and yellow pulp with a subacid to bitter taste and strong aroma.
It has a lower value than that of A. Muricata but is used in the same ways. The fresh fruits are also used for desserts when fully ripe or mixed with ice cream or milk to make a drink.
The immature fruits, harvested when the seeds are still tender, are cooked as a vegetable in soups, etc.
In medicinal use, all parts of the plant, which were already used in traditional medicine, contain numerous bioactive substances of considerable interest in various fields of medicine.
Among other things, the leaves contain acetogenins, substances currently being studied for their alleged anticancer properties.
With the leaves a decoction is prepared which is drunk in the evening before going to bed for its calming effect on the nerves and sedative which promotes sleep.
The leaves are also used to treat fever and headaches.
Among other uses, as mentioned, the plant is sometimes used as a rootstock for other members of the genus.
The sapwood is light brown and soft, and the wood is used only for fuel.

Method of Preparation –
Annona montana, although less known than A. muricata, is used both in the food and medicinal fields.
The fruits are eaten fresh or to prepare desserts when they are completely ripe; they are also mixed with ice cream or milk to make drinks.
The unripe fruits are cooked as vegetables to prepare soups or other dishes.
With the leaves a sedative decoction is prepared which promotes sleep.
The leaves are also used to treat fever and headaches.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/90313433/original.jpeg

Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.