Cherimoya

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Cherimoya
Rigid 070308-5403 Annona cherimola.jpg

Cherimoya ( Annona cherimola )

Systematics
Class : Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
Magnoliids
Order : Magnolia-like (Magnoliales)
Family : Annonaceous (Annonaceae)
Genre : Annona
Type : Cherimoya
Scientific name
Annona cherimola
Mill.

Cherimoya ( Annona cherimola ) is a species of plant within the Annonaceae family. Originally from South America, the cherimoya is widely grown as a fruit tree in the subtropics and higher regions of the tropics.

description

The cherimoya grows as a small, fast-growing, mostly evergreen tree or shrub that reaches heights of growth of 5 to 9 meters. The crown is spread out, the branches soon branch out above the ground. Young twigs are hairy reddish.

The whole-margined leaves are alternate and arranged in two rows. The hairy petiole is 6 to 12 mm long. The leaf blade, which is lighter on the underside, measures 7.5 to 15 cm in length and 3.8 to 8.9 cm in width, its shape is ovate, elliptical or ovate-lanceolate to obovate, it ends blunt to pointed. On the upper side, the leaf is only sparsely hairy, while the underside has thicker, velvety and brownish hairs. The leaves are shed every year shortly before the flowering period, new ones sprout shortly afterwards.

The hermaphrodite, pendulous flowers stand individually, in twos or threes on the branches. The flowers are dichogamous and proterogynous. The flower stalk is short and hairy. The velvety calyx is small. The three outer, thick petals are greenish to yellowish and fleshy as well as finely hairy on the outside, they are elongated and up to 3 cm long. The inner base is often reddish in color. The three inner petals are much smaller, scale-like and pink, reddish in color. The flowers are fragrant. There are many fleshy, spirally arranged stamens and many, initially free, upper, pyramidal arranged pistils .

The shape of the collective fruit is conical or heart-shaped, it is 10 to 20 cm long and up to 10 cm wide. Usually the weight of the fruits is 150 to 500 g, but there are specimens that produce fruits up to 2700 g. The greenish skin of the fruit can be thin or thick, in addition to smooth fruits there are also those with conical or rounded bulges, scales. The sweet pulp is white and juicy, it has an aromatic, slightly sour taste, sometimes described as a mixture of pineapple , mango and strawberry . The fruit contains numerous flat, pumpkin seed-like seeds, these are somewhat shiny and brown to black and 1 to 2 cm in size.

Botanical history

The cherimoya was first scientifically described by Philip Miller in his Gardeners Dictionary in 1768 . The name cherimola is derived from the Spanish names “chirimoya” or “chirimoyo”, which in turn can be traced back to an indigenous language that is unknown. A derivation from the Peruvian Quechua ćiri , “cold”, and muyu , “circle, wheel”, with the meaning “fresh, round fruit”, may come into question.

Occurrence

Original distribution area

The cherimoya probably comes from the Andes of Peru , Colombia , Ecuador and Bolivia . As a fruit tree, it was planted and used outside its natural area early on. In 1629 it was introduced to Mexico from Guatemala . The first plants came to Spain in 1757, to Italy in 1797. The cultivation is generally possible in subtropical areas as well as in high altitudes of the tropics. There is a dry period in the distribution area of ​​the cherimoya, in permanently humid climates the trees do not thrive. Frost is hardly tolerated - the trees survive temperatures of −3 ° C, at even colder temperatures damage or death occurs. The assessment of 20 sites in the province of Loja , Ecuador revealed certain growing preferences of wild cherimoya, including an altitude between 1,500 and 2,000 meters (4,900 to 6,600 ft), an optimal annual temperature range of 18 to 20 ° C, and between 800 and 20 ° C. 1,000 millimeters as well as soils with a high sand content and slightly acidic properties with a pH value between 5 and 6.5.

use

Cultivation

Today it is grown worldwide in all regions with a suitable subtropical climate. You can find plantations in Madeira and Israel, for example . It is partly grown in Spain (e.g. Costa Tropical and Costa del Sol ), and in Italy in the Reggio Calabria and Villa San Giovanni areas .

In areas where this species is not native, it has to be partially pollinated by hand. This is due to the fact that with some varieties of the flowers pollen does not ripen until a day later, when the stigmas are ready for conception. The fruits ripen about five to eight months after pollination.

The fruits ripen after the harvest, they are therefore climacteric fruits . After-ripening is delayed if stored below 10 ° C.

Use in the kitchen

The cherimoya fruit is eaten raw as a fruit, it can also be made into juice or ice cream. According to the BBC, it is one of the most nutritious foods ever, second only to almonds.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 g of pulp:

The seeds that are usually not consumed contain 1–1.4 g / 100 g of the secondary substance β-sitosterol .

Use as a remedy, toxicity

The seeds of the cherimoya contain various alkaloids , consumption leads to nausea and various symptoms of poisoning. The seeds are used as an insecticide and for parasitic skin diseases and as a powerful emetic and laxative.

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e Julia F. Morton : Cherimoya. In: Julia F. Morton: Fruits of warm climates. 1987, Miami, FL. Pp. 65-69, online .
  2. a b Xavier Scheldeman: Distribution and potential of cherimoya ( Annona cherimoya Mill.) And highland papayas ( Vasconcellea spp.) In Ecuador (PDF) Faculteit Landbouwkundige en Toegepaste Biologische Wetenschappen. 2002. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network
  4. Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-937872-16-7 , p. 149 (reprint from 1996).
  5. The world's most nutritious foods In: BBC. 29th January 2018.

Web links

Commons : Cherimoya ( Annona cherimola )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Cherimoya  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations