Asimina triloba
Monogr. Anonac., 83. 1817.
Shrubs or trees, 1.5-11 (-14) m; trunks slender, to 20 (-30) cm diam.; bark shallowly furrowed in larger trees. Branches spreading-ascending, slender; new shoots moderately to copiously brown-hairy apically, aging glabrous. Leaves: petiole 5-10 mm. Leaf-blade oblong-obovate to oblanceolate, 15-30 cm, membranous, base narrowly cuneate, margins scarcely or not revolute, apex acute to acuminate; surfaces abaxially densely hairy, later sparsely so on veins, adaxially sparsely appressed-pubescent on veins, becoming glabrous. Inflorescences from previous years shoots before or during new leaf emergence; peduncle nodding, (1-) 1.5-2 (-2.5) cm, densely hairy, hairs dark-brown to redbrown; bracteoles 1-2, basal, usually ovate-triangular, rarely over 2-3 mm, hairy. Flowers maroon, fetid, 2-4 (-5) cm diam.; sepals triangular-deltate, 8-12 mm, abaxially densely pilose; outer petals excurved, oblongelliptic, 1.5-2.5 cm, abaxially puberulent on veins; inner petals elliptic, 1/3-1/2 length of outer petals, base saccate, apex recurved, surfaces abaxially glabrate, veins impressed adaxially, corrugate nectary zone distinct; pistils 3-7 (-12). Berries yellow-green, 5-15 cm. Seeds brown to chestnut-brown, 1.5-2.5 cm.
Phenology: Flowering early spring.
Habitat: Mesic woods, often alluvial sites, fencerows
Elevation: 0-1500 m
Distribution
Ont., Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.
Discussion
A. pendula Salisbury; Asimina glabra Horta ex C. Koch; Orchidocarpum arietinum Michaux; Porcelia triloba (Linnaeus) Persoon; Uvaria triloba (Linnaeus) Torrey & A. Gray
Selected References
None.