Annona tomentosa
Annona tomentosa is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Bolivia and Brazil.[1] Robert Elias Fries, the Swedish botanist who first formally described the species, named it after the dense woolly hairs (tomentosus in Latin) covering its branches and leaves.[2][3]
Annona tomentosa | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Magnoliales |
Family: | Annonaceae |
Genus: | Annona |
Species: | A. tomentosa |
Binomial name | |
Annona tomentosa | |
Description
It is a bush reaching 0.5-1.5 meters in height. The younger branches are covered in yellow-brown, dense, woolly hairs. Its internodes are 1-4 centimeters long. Its petioles are 3-4 millimeters long and covered in dense woolly hairs. Its oblong to oval leaves are 7-19 by 3.5-9 centimeters. The leaves are rounded or indented at their base and come to a tapered point at their tip. The leaves are covered in dense hair on their upper and lower surfaces. The leaves have 8-18 secondary veins emanating at an acute angle from either side of the midrib. Inflorescences emerge between nodes and have 1-2 flowers. Its pedicels are 1.5 centimeters long and have two kidney-shaped bracts that enclose their base. Its rounded sepals come to a point at the tip, are covered in dense woolly hairs on their outer surface, and are hairless on their inner surface. Its outer petals are 1.7 by 2 centimeters and come to a taper point or have blunt tips. The outer surfaces of the outer petals are covered in dense grey-yellow hairs. Its inner petals are 0.6-0.7 by 2 centimeters, have a keeled back and come to a point at their tip. Its stamens are 3 millimeters long. Its ovaries are covered in dense white hairs.[3]
Reproductive biology
The pollen of Annona tenuiflora is shed as permanent tetrads.[4] Pollinators include Cyclocephala beetles.[5]
Habitat and distribution
It has been observed in fields with dry sand dunes.[3]
Uses
It is used in Brazilian traditional medicine and extracts from the leaves have been reported to provide antinociceptive pain relief and have anti-inflammatory activity in studies with mice.[6]
References
- "Annona tomentosa R.E.Fr". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- Stearn, William (2004). Botanical Latin. Portland, Ore. Newton Abbot: Timber Press David & Charles. ISBN 9780881926279.
- Fries, Robert Elias (1906). "Studien in der Riedel'schen Anonaceen-Sammlung" [Studies in the Riedel Anonaceae Collection]. Arkiv för Botanik (in German and Latin). 5 (4): 1–24.
- Walker, James W. (1971). "Pollen Morphology, Phytogeography, and Phylogeny of the Annonaceae". Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University. 202: 1–130. JSTOR 41764703.
- Nascimento, Fabio S.; Costa, Marilza Silva; Silva, Ricardo José; Paulino-Neto, Hipólito Ferreira; Pereira, Mônica Josene Barbosa (2017). "Beetle pollination and flowering rhythm of Annona coriacea Mart. (Annonaceae) in Brazilian cerrado: Behavioral features of its principal pollinators". PLOS ONE. 12 (2): e0171092. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0171092. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5289549.
- Carneiro, Lilian Uchoa; Silva, Ilna Gomes da; Souza, Mirian Eliza Alves de; Côrtes, Wellington da Silva; Carvalho, Mário Geraldo de; Marinho, Bruno Guimarães (2017). "Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of leaf extracts from Annona tomentosa R.E.Fr". Journal of Integrative Medicine. 15 (5): 379–387. doi:10.1016/S2095-4964(17)60349-2. ISSN 2095-4964.