Description

Annona muricata, called soursop due to the sweet and sour flavor of the large fruit, is a lowland tropical fruit-bearing tree in the Annonaceae family. Related species include cherimoya (A. cherimola) and sugar-apple (A. squamosa); paw paw (Asimina triloba) is also in the family. Other common names include graviola and guanábana (sometimes shortened to guanába). The soursop is native to tropical Central and South America and the Caribbean, but is now widely cultivated in tropical areas worldwide, including southern Florida and Southeast Asia, from sea level to altitudes of around 1150 meters. It has occasionally escaped cultivation and become naturalized (Wikipedia 2011, Flora of Pakistan 2011). It is considered invasive in the Galápagos, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Tonga, and Australia (PIER 2011).