Annona reticulata
Excerpt from Custard Apples (Annona spp.)

Botanical name: Annona reticulata L.
Family: Annonaceae
Common names. English: bullock's heart, custard apple, sugar apple; Spanish: anona, anona colorada, anona rosada, corazón; Portuguese: coração de boi; other: cahuex, pox, qualtzapotl, tzumuy


Although it is said that A. reticulata is a native of the Antilles. the presence in Guatemala and Belize of a wild variety, A. reticulata var. primigenia, and also of a very wide variability of cultivars suggests that this zone is the species' area of origin. It has been introduced in other regions of the American tropics and Southeast Asia, without achieving a level of importance comparable to that of A. cherimola or A. squamosa.

Of the causes of A. reticulata's current marginalization, two seem to be the most notable: reproduction by seed, which results in many trees producing much smaller fruit; and the attack of the seed weevil which lays its eggs in the young fruit. When the adult insect develops, it bores tunnels through the flesh, causing mycotic infections and a consequent deterioration of the fruit.

The most attractive aspects of this species are: its pleasant-tasting fruit, which is generally sweet and creamy; the relatively small volume taken up by the skin and seed; and the plant's modest soil requirements.

Botanical description
A. reticulata is a low tree with an open, irregular crown and slender, glabrous leaves which in some varieties are long and narrow, 10 to 20 x 2 to 7 cm, straight and pointed at the apex; and in other varieties wrinkled and up to 10 cm wide. The flowers are generally in groups of three or four, with three long outer petals and three very small inner ones. The fruit is heart-shaped or spherical and 8 to 15 cm in diameter; according to the cultivar, the flesh varies from juicy and very aromatic to hard with a repulsive taste. There is a wide variability in the presence of groups of hard cells that are similar to grains of sand. Both the outside and inside colour varies according to the cultivar.

Ecology and phytogeography
A. reticulata grows between 0 and 1500 m in the areas of Central America that have alternating seasons, and has spread to South America. However, it is in the former region that the varieties previously classified as species are to be found: primigenia, already mentioned; and lutescens. the yellow custard apple which grows from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Genetic diversity
In Florida (United States) superior cultivars have been selected. especially from Belize and Guatemala. They differ in the characteristics of their fruit and even in their compatibility with stocks.

Tikal is of excellent quality and medium yield; its flesh is bright-red, except in the white areas surrounding the seeds.

Canul has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny dark-red surface and purplish red flesh; it is very aromatic and deliciously sweet with few concretions of hard cells.

Sartenaya has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny red surface and pink flesh with a magnificent taste and texture. Although the fruit is not as attractive in appearance as that of the previous two cultivars. the tree is sturdier.

San Pablo has a long, large fruit with an opaque, light-red surface. The flesh is dark-pink with a good aroma and taste. It is a vigorous, productive cultivar.

Benque has a big conical fruit with a dark-red surface and very tasty dark-pink flesh.

Caledonia has a small fruit with a dark surface: it is very attractive to cochineal insects (Philophaedra sp.), which are not very common in other varieties. The flesh is pink and has an excellent taste.

Chonox has a medium fruit with a red skin and juicy. very tasty pink flesh; it is very productive and, for this reason, often has low-quality fruit. It produces abundant flowers in groups of up to 16.

No selections have been made from yellow custard apple and there are apparently no great risks of genetic erosion. It is possible that more intensive exploration in Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador might allow new cultivars to be found.

Cultivation practices
A. reticulata is generally propagated by seed, the germination rate of which ranges from low to medium. Grafting is usually done on stock of the same species. The fruit is harvested after its colour changes patterns although in some cultivars this does not occur and ripeness is determined by feel. The skin is very thin and the fruit must therefore be handled carefully. Most fruit is produced for family consumption and it is not commonly found on the markets outside Guatemala. The commercial future of this species depends on two factors: the establishment of grafted trees of high-yielding cultivars with fruit of a high quality and good appearance; and the adoption of control practices such as using protective bags or eradicating seed-boring insects.