Annona macroprophyllata explained

Annona macroprophyllata is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.[1] John Donnell Smith, the American botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its large leaves (Latinized forms of Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: μακρός, makrós and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: φύλλον, phúllon).[2]

Description

A bush reaching 3-4 meters in height. Its membranous, elliptical leaves are 4-6 by 2–3.5 centimeters and have rounded or slightly indented tips. The leaves are hairless on both surfaces. Its petioles are 2–3 millimeters long. Its solitary flowers are on 1–2.7 centimeter long pedicels. Its oval sepals are 3–4 millimeters long and covered in rust-colored shaggy hairs. Its outer petals are 20 by 5–7 millimeters and covered in fine hairs. The mature, thick, fleshy, outer petals have an outer surface that is green at the base and yellow at the tip, while its inner surface has pink and red highlights. Its inner petals are rudimentary. Its ovaries are hairless.[3] [4]

Reproductive biology

The pollen of A. macroprophyllata is shed as permanent tetrads.[5]

Distribution and habitat

It has been observed growing at an elevation of 1,110 meters.[3]

Uses

Bioactive molecules extracted from the leaves have been reported to have alpha-glucosidase inhibitor activity.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Annona macroprophyllata Donn.Sm. . . n.d. . Plants of the World Online . The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . 4 January 2019. .
  2. Book: Stearn, William . Botanical Latin . Timber Press David & Charles . Portland, Ore. Newton Abbot . 2004 . 9780881926279 .
  3. Smith . John Donnell . 1910 . Undescribed Plants from Guatemala and Other Central American Republics. XXXIII . Botanical Gazette . 49 . 6 . 453–458 . 10.1086/330242. 85396226 .
  4. Safford . William E. . 1914 . Classification of the Genus Annona with Descriptions of New and Imperfectly Known Species . Contributions from the United States National Herbarium . 18 . 1–68.
  5. Walker . James W. . 1971 . Pollen Morphology, Phytogeography, and Phylogeny of the Annonaceae . 41764703 . Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University . 202 . 202 . 1–130. 10.5962/p.272704 . free .
  6. Brindis. F.. González-Trujano. M. E.. González-Andrade. M.. Aguirre-Hernández. E.. Villalobos-Molina. R.. Aqueous Extract of Annona macroprophyllata: A Potential α-Glucosidase Inhibitor. BioMed Research International. 2013. 2013. 1–6. 2314-6133. 10.1155/2013/591313. 3835905. 24298552. free.