Annona sericea

Annona sericea
Botanical illustration of Annona sericea
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Annonaceae
Genus:	Annona
Species:	A. sericea
Binomial name
Annona sericea Dunal
Synonyms
Annona jenmanii Saff. Annona trinitensis Saff.

Annona sericea is a species of

It is a tree reaching 1.3–2 meters in height. Its young branches are covered in deep red silky hairs. Its leaves are arranged in opposite rows. Its oblong, membranous leaves are 10.5-18 by 3.5-5.5 centimeters and come to a point at their tip. The leaves have numerous small spots which transmit light. The leaves are hairless on their upper surface, but hairy on their lower surface – particularly the midrib and veins which have dark red silky hairs. The leaves have 18-25 secondary veins emanating from either side of the midrib. Its petioles are 4-8 millimeters long, and covered in rust-colored silky hairs. Its flowers are on peduncles that are 11-16 millimeters long, extra-axillary, and occur alone or in pairs. The peduncles are covered in fine rust-colored hairs and have a bracteole at their midpoint. The sepals are united to form calyx with 3 oval to triangular lobes that come to a point. The outer surface of the calyx is covered in dark red hairs. Its flowers usually have 3 petals but can have 6, arranged in two alternating rows of 3. The thick, oval, concave petals are 12-16 by 10-12 millimeters, come to a shallow point. The margins of the petals touch but are not united. The outer surface of the petals is covered in rust-colored fine, silky hairs, the inner surface is covered in tawny yellow, woolly hairs. The convex receptacle of the flowers is 6 millimeters in diameter and covered in wispy yellow hairs. Its flowers have numerous stamens that are 1.8-2.2 millimeters long with short, flat filaments and 1.5-1.7 millimeter long anthers. The tissue connecting the lobes of the anthers is overgrown to form a hood covered in stiff hairs. Its carpels and club-shaped styles are 1.8-2.2 millimeters long. Its ovaries are covered in red silky hairs. Its immature, oval fruit are 2.5 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters in diameter and covered in cone-shaped projections. Its seeds are oval and have a caruncle at one end.^[5][6][7]

Reproductive biology

The pollen of Annona sericea is shed as permanent tetrads.^[8]

References