Asimina obovata
| Asimina obovata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Annonaceae |
| Genus: | Asimina |
| Species: | A. obovata |
| Binomial name | |
| Asimina obovata (Willd.) Nash | |
| |
| Natural range of Asimina obovata from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Contents
Taxonomic notes
Common names: Bigflower Pawpaw
Description
A description of Asimina obovata is provided in The Flora of North America.
Asimina obovata is a long-lived perennial.[1] Such as other species in the Genus Asimina, it has a deep taproot and resprouts from a lignotuber after fire or disturbance (Kral 1960, 1993). Leaves are alternate and simple with pinnate venation[2]. It can be a shrub or a small tree growing three meters or more[3].
Distribution
Ecology
Habitat
Asimina obovata is endemic to the well drained sand of sand ridges, coastal dunes, hammocks and pine-turkey oak sand ridges that occur in southeastern to north central Florida (Kral 1960). Associated species include Pinus clausa, Quercus gemiata, Quercus myrtifolia, Ceratiola ericoides, Ilex opaca var. arenicola, Garberia heterophylla, and Persea humilus (Crummer 2003).
Phenology
Blooms in April [4]. It has white flowers and green fruit [1].
Seed dispersal
Seed bank and germination
Seedlings have been found in the shade of parent plants due to the importance of shade and seed burial to prevent seed desiccation after ripening (Crummer 2003).
Fire ecology
In the year following a fire, A. obovata resprouts with more stems than were present pre-fire, however these stems are smaller and less woody with a higher chance of herbivory. The amount of flowers blooming is the greatest in the second flowering season post-fire with flower numbers decreasing as the fire interval becomes longer. [5].
Pollination
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Asimina obovata at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):
Apidae: Apis mellifera
Vespidae: Polistes dorsalis hunteri
Use by animals
In order to protect itself from herbivory, A. obovata contains a toxin called annonaceous acetogenins which inhibits mitochondrial respiration in preditors. [4]
Gopher tortoises have been observed to eat the ripe fruit and spit out the seeds (Norman and Clayton 1986).
Diseases and parasites
Conservation and Management
Cultivation and restoration
Photo Gallery
References and notes
Deyrup, M.A. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 [Florida Native Plant Society. Accessed: November 24, 2015]
- ↑ [Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Accessed: November 23, 2015.]
- ↑ [[1]]Accessed: November 24, 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 [Encyclopedia of Life]Accessed November 24, 2015
- ↑ [[2]] Archbold Biological Station. Accessed: November 24, 2015
