Asimina triloba

Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

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 year's shoots before or during new leaf emergence; peduncle nodding, (1-)1.5-2(-2.5) cm, densely hairy, hairs dark brown to red-brown; 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, oblong-elliptic, 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

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• Legacy Map

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.

Lower Taxa

None.