English name- Custard Apple- Sugar Apple- Annona squamosa- Sitafal
Custard apple is aplant common in India. It is also found in central America, Peru , Brazil,Mexico and West indies. In South easy Asia.
It is also found in forest. This tree is a member of Annonaceae plant family.
This is deciduous tree. A shrub or small tree upto 6 mt. high.with black,rough longitudinaslly fissured bark. The leaves are elliptic-oblong lanceolate, rarely obovate and petiolate. The flowers are solitary or 2-3 fascicled,axillary or leaf opposed. The fruits are 5-10 cms. Across,globose of cordate ovoid with projecting areoles. The flowering
season is April tp August..
Usage-
In Ayurveda the fruits are used for treatment of anemia and vomiting. The seeds are used externally for the treatment of lice infection on the human body.
Custard apple is edible fruit with white pulp that contains many black shiny seeds in it.
Pulp of the fruit is eaten fresh or converted into juice or shake.
Chemical compounds obtained- Amorphous alkaloids, a&b-pinine,resin,squaosin are obtained from this palnt.
Known as an other languages-
Hindi Name-sitafal
Marathi-Gujrathi Name- Sitafal
Bengalli Name- Aataa
Tamil Name-sitapallam
Sanskrit Name- sitafal
Botanical Name-Annona squamosa