Common Name:

General Information

Annona cacans is a deciduous tree with a large, globose crown; it can grow 10 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 50 - 70cm in diameter[].
Its edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local use[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - southern and eastern Brazil.

Habitat

Semi-deciduous forests[]. Coastal premontane to montane rain forest from sea level to elevations of 1,500 metres. Found in dense primary forests as well as in secondary growth areas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[].
A fast growing tree, it can easily reach 4 metres or more in height within 2 years from seed[].
The tree tends to only produce small crops of fruit[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. The pulp is succulent and aromatic with a sweet flavour and many seeds[, ]. The fruit is slightly laxative, especially if eaten in quantity[, ].The green, oblong fruit can be 13cm long and 11cm wide[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is light in weight, not very durable, smooth to work and easy to cut[]. Of low value, it is only used for items such as ceiling boards, boxes and cheap toys[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a very hard outer layer and germinates much more easily if scarified[]. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seeds in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers in a lightly shaded position. Germination rates of scarified seeds are usually above 30%, with the seed sprouting within 40 - 80 days[]. Transplant nursery bed sown plants when they are 4 - 6cm tall into individual containers. They should be ready to plant out about 6 months later[].

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