Annona reticulata Scientific classification :- Kingdom : Plantae Clade : Angiosperms Clade : Magnoliids Order : Magnoliales Family : Annonaceae Genus : Annona Species: A. Reticulate

Common name :- English : Bullock’s heart, Netted custard apple, Wild-sweetsop Hindi :Ramphal Kannada :Ramaphala Marati :Ramphal

Discription:-

1. Habit and Habitat :3-5m small tree with spreading branches, young branches hairy. Cultivated and naturalized.
2. Distribution : Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Manipur, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, America, Brazil, Mexico.
3. Morphology:- Leaf:Glabrous ovate-lanceolate, minutely pellicid-punctate, petolate, rounded at the base, transparent dots present, upper surface without hairs, the lower surface with a few scattered hairs. Infloroscence:Often solitary, axillary, sometimes cauliflourous in groups. Flower: 2-4 on lateral, glabrous pedicels. Sepals 3, small, ovate, acute, hairy. Petals 3, fleshy, triangular and hairy on both sides. Sometimes 3 small, minute inner petals are present. Stamens and carpels like above. Androceium: Numerous stamens, crowded, white less than 1.6cm long. Gynoceium: Ovary light green. Styles white, crowded on the raised axis. Fruit : 10-15cm across, yellowish brown, sub-globose or heart-shaped, fleshy composite berry with pentangular lightly marked areoles. Seeds: smooth and blackish
4. Flowering and Fruiting Time: September – November, December-May
5. Propagation: By seeds. Importance: Fruit is eaten when ripe. The leaves are used in a decoction to treat dysentery and urinary track infection. In traditional Indian medicine they are crushed and applied to wounds. The leaves are rubbed on floors and put in hens nests to repel lice. Employed in the treatment Epilepsy, dysentery, cardiac problem, parasite and worm infections, constipation, haemorrhage, bacterial infection, dysuria, fever, ulcer and as an insecticide.

Bark is a powerful astringent and used as a tonic. Leaves used for Helminthiasis treatment.

Location: botanical gardern , near ranade hall.

References: www.flowersofindia.net/catalogue/slides/Annona%reticulata.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org.wiki.annona_reticulata www.efloraofgandhinagar.in/tree/pongamia-pinnata