Ilama
Annona macroprophyllata

Family: Annonaceae

What it is like

A small deciduous tree. It grows to 7-8 m tall. It has 2 kinds of leaf. One is the broadly oval smooth leaf with a leaf stalk. The others are like round bracts without a leaf stalk and these fall off. These grow at the base of the small branches. Under the leaves, fruit and branches has a powdery appearance. The flowers are maroon coloured and 2-3 cm across. There are 3 outer petals. These are 2-5 cm long. There are 3 small inner petals. The fruit are large and pink or white. They are 12 cm long. They have a thin skin. Fruit vary in colour and texture.

There are about 100-150 Annona species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It suits the tropical lowlands. It grows between sea level and 1800 m altitude in Central America. It does best on fertile volcanic soils. A rainfall of 1,000-1,400 is suitable. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Central America (country/location of origin), China, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Honduras, India, Mexico (country/location of origin), Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten fresh and used in ice cream.

It is not a popular fruit.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed have a long dormancy which is hard to break. Seed should be soaked in a solution of gibberellic acid, exposing them to the sun, putting them in hot water or storing for 2-3 months. They can also be grown by grafting.

The fruit splits if ripened on the tree but this split scars over with careful storage. Fruit are between 400-800 g. Fruit matures in 150 days.

Its other names

Local names

Anona blanca, Ilamatzapotl, Izlama, Papausa, Yi ye fan li zhi

Synonyms

Annona diversifolia Saff.;