ANNONA SQUAMOSA

Common name: Sugar Apple, Custard apple • Hindi: Sharifa शरीफ़ा , Sitaphal सीताफल • Manipuri: Sitaphal • Assamese: Katal • Tamil: சீதாபழம் Sitapalam

Botanical name: Annona squamosa     Family: Annonaceae (sugar apple family)

Introduction: A small tropical tree, indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, growing up to 20' tall. The leaves are thin, oblong while the flowers are greenish - yellow. Flowers are oblong, 1 to 1 1/2 in long, never fully open, with 1 in long, drooping stalks, and 3 fleshy outer petals, yellow-green on the outside and pale-yellow inside with a purple or dark-red spot at the base. The avoid or conical fruit, with a purple knobby skin, is very sweet and is eaten fresh or can be used for shakes. The fruit is juicy and creamy - white; it may contain up to 40 black seeds. These seeds are poisonous. From delicious fruits of Sitaphal, jelly, jam, conserves, sharbets, syrup, tart and fermented drinks are prepared. The peelings and pulps contain oil that is useful in flavouring.

Medicinal uses:   The bark and leaves contain annonaine, an alkaloid. In tropical America, a decoction of the leaves is used as a cold remedy and to clarify urine. A bark decoction is used to stop diarrhea, while the root is used in the treatment of dysentery.

Chemical composition

The seeds yield oil and resins, the latter appear to be the acrid principles and are useful as insecticides. The same quality is ascribed to the leaves and immature fruits.

Therapeutic uses

An infusion of the leaves is applied in prolapse of the anus of children, a poultice of the leaves made with salt is applied to boils, ulcers, maggot infested sores and malignant tumours. Persons having hysterical or fainting fits are made to inhale crushed leaves or their juice. The bark is given in diarrhoea and as a tonic. The root is a drastic purgative; it is given in acute dysentery, melancholia and spinal diseases.

Folk medicinal uses

A paste of the seeds is used for extracting guinea worms and for killing head

lice. It is used as an abortifacient by applying it to uterus.

Flowers and Fruits: May-June