Annona haematantha is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname.[1] Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel, the Dutch botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its blood-red flowers (Latinized forms of Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: αἱμάτῐνος, haimátinos and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἄνθος, ánthos).[2]
It is a woody vine reaching 5 centimeters in diameter. It has climbing habit that becomes horizontal as it reaches the forest canopy. Its membranous, elliptical leaves are 12-15 by 5-7 centimeters and come to a tapering point at their tip. Its leaves have 10-12 pairs of secondary veins emanating from their midribs. Its petioles are 5-6 millimeters and covered in rust-colored hairs. Its inflorescences have a solitary flower on a 10 millimeter long pedicel that is 1 millimeters in diameter. It has oval to triangular sepals that are 2-3 millimeters long and covered in dense brown hair. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The outer petals are fused to form a tube 5-10 millimeters long by 10 millimeters in diameter, with oval to triangular lobes that are 10-20 by 10-15 millimeters. The outer petals are yellow to red outside and deep red inside. The inner petals are fused to form a 7 millimeter long tube with 2 millimeter long triangular lobes.[3] [4] [5]
The pollen of A. haematantha is shed as permanent tetrads.[6]
It grows in forests and swamp-forests in sandy soil. It flowers in January.[5]
Bioactive compounds extracted from the roots have been reported to have antileishmanial properties.[7]