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Annonaceae

Annonaceae

9.9
A family of tropical trees and shrubs with sweet-smelling flowers and edible fruits like custard apple
  • noun
  • /ˌænəˈneɪsiˌi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : annonáceas
  • Many trees in the Annonaceae family produce fragrant flowers that attract various pollinators.

Examples

  • Common species population sizes were much larger at Mersing than at the other two sites, and often only one or two species accounted for the dominance of particular families, as shown by species in the Annonaceae and Verbenaceae.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The Annonaceae family includes delicious fruits like custard apples that are popular in tropical regions.

  • The Annonaceae are known for their unique, aromatic fruits, such as soursop, which are enjoyed by many.

Synonyms

custard-apple family
vsAnnonaceae
  • UK
8.3

A group of mainly tropical trees and shrubs that includes the custard apple and related fruit trees

is the scientific name used by botanists for the same family

Surface Forms

Annonaceae singular
Annonaceas plural

Morphology

Annonaceae = Annona (semi-transparent) = Annona + aceae

Formed from the genus name 'Annona' plus the botanical family-forming suffix '-aceae'; the structure is regular in taxonomy but may not be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Annonaceae comes from the plant name Annona, a Caribbean word for the custard apple, plus the botanical ending -aceae, which means 'family'. So Annonaceae is the plant family of tropical trees and shrubs that includes custard apple and soursop.