From the book
Fruits of Warm Climates
by Julia F. Morton
Soncoya
Annona purpurea
ANNONACEAE
Among lesser species of the family Annonaceae, the soncoya, Annona purpurea Moc. & Sesse (syns. A. manirote HBK. A. involucrata Baill., A. prestoli
Hemsl.) is called cabeza de negro, cabeza de ilama, chincua, ilama, or
ilama de Tehuantepec in Mexico; anona sincuya, chincuya, cabeza de
muerto, sencuya, suncuyo, soncolla, or matacuy in Guatemala; guanabano
torete or toreta in Panama; gallina gorda, guanabano pun, or matimba in
Colombia; castiguire, manire, manirote, tiragua, or tucuria in
Venezuela.
Description
The tree is
small to medium, to 20 or even 33 ft (6-10 m) high, with short trunk to
1 1/2 ft (45 cm) in diameter, and spreading branches, which are rusty
woolly when young. The deciduous leaves are alternate, short-petioled,
undulate, oblong-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate to oblongobovate, 8 to
12 in (20-30 cm) long and 4 to 5 1/2 in (10-14 cm) wide, acuminate at
the apex, brown-hairy on both surfaces and with prominent veins
beneath. Strongscented flowers, which emerge with the new leaves, are
solitary, fleshy, large, conical, usually enclosed at first by a pair
of bracts; are held at the base by a rusty-hairy, 3 parted calyx, and
have 3 very thick outer petals, brownhairy outside, yellowish and
purple mottled within, and 3 smaller, thinner inner petals, creamy
white outside, purple inside. The fruit, thick stalked, is ovoid or
nearly round, 6 to 8 in (15-20 cm) wide, set with hard, somewhat
4-sided, conical protuberances, each tipped with a curved hook, and is
coated overall with a brown felt. The pulp is agreeably aromatic,
suggesting the mango; abundant, yellow or orange, soft, fibrous, of
mild, agreeable flavor. Seeds are numerous, obovate, 1 to 1 3/16 in
(2.5-3 cm) long, dark-brown, and each is enclosed in a thin,
closefitting membrane. The fruit carpers separate easily when ripe.
Origin and
Distribution
The
soncoya is native and common in coastal lowlands from southern Mexico
to Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. It is grown in dooryards and the
fruit is sold in local markets, though it is of mediocre quality and
not popular because it is outwardly so hard. The tree was introduced
into the Philippines in the early 1900's, grew well and flowered at
Lamao but apparently did not set fruit for several years. It was
planted at the Federal Experiment Station at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in
1918 and in St. Croix in 1930. Several trees have grown well and borne
poorly at the Lancetilla Experimental Garden, Tela, Honduras.
Climate
The soncoya requires a hot, humid climate and it never occurs at an altitude higher than 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
Season
The fruits ripen in August in Yucatan; generally in the fall in Central America.
Food Uses
In Colombia, the pulp is eaten raw or is strained for juice, drunk as a beverage or folk remedy.
Toxicity
The seed extract destroys fleas. In Guatemala and Costa Rica, rural people believe the fruit to be unwholesome.
Medicinal
Uses
In Mexico, soncoya juice is regarded as a remedy for fever and chills.
Elsewhere it is given to relieve jaundice (probably because of its
color). The bark decoction is effective against dysentery and a tea of
the inner bark is administered in cases of edema.
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