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ANNONACEAE

SYSTEMMATIC POSITION

Division:Spermatophyta

Sub-Division: Angiosperms

Class : Dicotyledons

Subclass: Polypetalae

Series: Thalamiflorae

Order: Ranales

Family : Annonaceae

Dr.B.Adinarayana

Department of Botany

Government Degree College

Rajampeta

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Representatives: 108 genera; 2400 species

Distribution: Tropical in distribution; few temparaate

  1. Vegetative characters:

Habitat: Mesophytic

Habit : Shrubs, trees

Trees- Polyalthia

Shrub – Annona squamosa

Hook climber – Artabotrys, uvaria

Anatomical: aromatic wood due to oil passages in stem in the

parenchyma cells.

Growth: Monopodial – Polyalthia, Sympodial – Artabotrys

Root: Tap, deep and extensively branched.

Stem: Erect, branched, solid, woody, sometimes woody climbers.

Leaves : Simple, entire, alternate, exstipulate, distichous, gland

dotted. petiolate with entire margin. Short petiole;

bifarious/ distichous in arrangement

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ANNONA

ANNONA

ARTOBOTRYS

ARTOBOTRYS

Polyalthia

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B. Floral characters:� Inflorescence: solitary/ fascicles. � Cauliflorous – Polyalthia � Peduncle modified to hook – Artabotrys

Flower: Greenish yellow- brown, pedicellate, Bisexual,

Actinomorphic, dichlamydeous, hemicyclic, hypogynous &

Trimerous. Zygomorphic – Monodora (size of petals vary)

Calyx & corolla distinguished by size only. So Perianth.

Calyx: Sepals 3, sepaloid, polysepalous, connate at the base, valvate.

Corolla: Petals 3 or 6, polypetalous with valvate aestivation. Imbricate in some. Petals

thick & fleshy.

Sepals triangular in shape.

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Androecium: Stamens numerous, free, spirally arranged, closely packed at

basal part of thalamus. Filament short & thick, with adnate

bithecous anther . Stamens numerous spirally arranged on the axis which forms a large convex receptacle,

Dehiscence longitudinal & extrorse. Connective is prolonged above the anthers to

form an elongation called hood – so, hooded stamens.

Gynoecium: Carpels numerous or a few, usually free, spirally arranged on the raised receptacle, apocarpous, superior, unicarpellary, unilocular; ovules one to many, anatropous; style short or none, stigma small, Monodora (Africa) with syncarpous ovary and parietal placentation.

  • Pistil with individual ovary, style, stigma inconspicuous
  • Placentation basal in Annona; Marginal in cananga Cananga- Carpels free, stigmatic heads fuse to form an irregular structure Annona – carpels free, but after tertilisation, the carpels fuse laterally to form aggregate fruit.

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Fruit: - Aggregate fruit; etaerio of berries. Annona – Aggregate fruit

Etaerio of berries – Cananga, Polyalthia

An aggregate of berries, united to form a single compound fruit (Annona squamosa).

Seed:- Large, numerous, often embedded in a copious, white fleshy pulp,

endospermic., hard testa,

Tegmen produced to numerous infoldings into the endosperm – Ruminate endosperm .Embryo small.

Pollination:

Entomophilous, due to gaudy and scented flowers.

Floral formula:

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Annona squamosa

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Habit: A small tree.

Root: Tap, branched.

Stem: Aerial, woody, branched.

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

Artobotrys

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Androecium:Stamens numerous, spirally arranged on a conical receptacle, filaments short, anthets oblong, adnated, and appendaged.

Gynoecium: Multicarpellary, apocarpous, spirally arranged, superior, each unilocular, ovule one, basal placentation, style short, stigma long, tapering, papillose.

Fruit: An etario of berries.

Inflorescence: A xillary, two or more flowers arise in the axil of each leaf.

Flower: Bracteate, hermaphrodite, complete, actinomorphic, spirocyclic,

hypogynous.

Calyx: Sepals three, polysepalous, united at the base, valvate.

Corolla:Petals three, polypetalous, fleshy, pale-yellow, valvate.

Floral formula:

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Artobotrys uncinatus

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ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ANNONACEAE

  1. Food: The fleshy fruits of various Annona specifics are juicy and edible, and also used in preparation of soft drinks and jellies. Recent analysis shows that they contain about 18 per cent sugar.

Edible fruits are also obtained from various species of Annona and Asimina.

2.Timber: Bocagea virgata, B. laurifolia, Cyathocalyx zeylanicus, Duguetia quitarensis, Oxandra lanceolata and Eupomatia laurina yield useful timber.

3. Oil: The flowers of Desmos chinensis furnish ‘Macassar oil’ a perfume. The perfume is also obtained from Mkilua fragrans and specially liked by Arab women.

4. Fibre: The bark of Goniothalamus wightii produces strong fibres.

5. Ornamental: Artabotrys odoratissimus and Annona discolor are grown in garden for their scented flowers. Desmes chinensis is an ornamental tree.

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