Annonaceae
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Soursop Family
Description: The Annonaceae are mainly trees, with a few lianas. They have simple, alternate, entire leaves with no stipules. In almost all species here, the leaves are distichous (borne in one plane), and the young leaves are conduplicate (i.e., folded in half lengthwise). The crushed leaves have a strong odor, which varies from fruity to unpleasantly sour. The bark is very strong, often peeling down the trunk when you attempt to remove a twig. The underside of the bark has a netted pattern, also visible in the wood, and the stem cross section has abundant rays, resembling a bicycle wheel.
Economic uses: Native people of the Amazon and Central America often use Annonaceae bark for twine because of its strength and flexibility. Some Annonaceae species are widely cultivated in the tropics for their fruit: cherimoya (Annona cherimola), guanábana or soursop (Annona muricata), and several other local varieties. An Annonaceae fruit that grows wild in the mountains of the southeastern U.S., the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is considered a delicacy. The flowers of Cananga odorata are a main ingredient in Chanel No. 5.
Descripción: las annonaceas son principalmente árboles, aunque tambien hay algunas especies que crecen como bejucos. Tienen hojas simples, alternas, y enteras, sin estípulas. Casi todas las especies aquí tienen hojas dísticas (en un sólo plano), y las hojas jóvenes son conduplicadas (dobladas longitudinalmente). Las hojas estrujadas tienen un olor fuerte a frutas, a veces dulce y a veces agrio. La corteza es muy fuerte, y se desprende de la rama en tiras en lugar de romperse. El envés de la corteza lleva un patrón similar a una red, y la rama cortada transversalmente revela rayos radiando del centro como en una rueda de bicicleta.
Usos económicos: Indios del Amazonas y de Centroamérica usan la corteza de annonaceas para fabricar cuerda, debido a su fortaleza y flexibilidad. Algunas especies de annonaceas son cultivadas ampliamente: la anona o chirimoya (Annona cherimola), la guanábana (Annona muricata), y otras variedades. En las montañas del sureste de los Estados Unidos, crece la “pawpaw” (Asimina triloba), una fruta silvestre que se considera deliciosa. Las flores de Cananga odorata (ylang-ylang) se usan para elaborar el perfume Chanel No. 5.
Genera/species at La Selva: 10/20 (all shrubs and trees/ todos árboles o arbustos): Anaxagorea (2), Annona (3), Cananga (1), Cymbopetalum (2), Desmopsis (2), Guatteria (3), Rollinia (2), Sapranthus (1), Unonopsis (2), Xylopia (2).
FIELD MARKS – alternate, simple leaves, distichous (leaves in two ranks), young leaves conduplicate (folded), “ranalean” odor, bark peels in long strings, threadlike vascular bundles visible in live bark, aggregate fruit or free fruitlets.
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