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dwarf pawpaw, small-flower pawpaw, small-fruit pawpaw

flag-pawpaw, netted pawpaw

Habit Shrubs or low trees, to 6 m; trunks slender, at most to 10 cm diam. Shrubs, to 1.5 m; crown much branched.
Branches

spreading-ascending, slender;

new shoots red-brown, distally minutely reddish tomentose.

Shoots

red-brown to tan, distally red or pale-hairy, becoming gray-brown, distally glabrous or sparsely pale-hairy.

Leaves

blade obovate to oblanceolate, 6-15(-20) cm, membranous, rarely leathery, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, margins barely revolute, apex acute to acuminate;

surfaces abaxially minutely rusty-tomentose, aging hairy on veins only, adaxially puberulent on veins, aging glabrous.

blade oblong to elliptic or narrowly obovate, 5-8 cm, leathery, base abruptly and broadly cuneate or rounded, margins strongly to moderately revolute, apex acute to broadly rounded, occasionally notched;

surfaces abaxially densely orange-hairy, becoming sparsely so on veins, adaxially sparsely orange-hairy, becoming glabrous and often glaucous.

Inflorescences

from previous year's shoots before or during new leaf emergence;

peduncle 0.3-0.8 cm, tomentose, hairs red-brown to tan;

bracteoles 1(-2), basal, usually ovate-triangular, rarely over 2-3 mm, hairy.

on previous year's growth;

peduncle slender, 2-3.5 cm, tomentose;

bracteoles 1-2, basal, usually ovate-triangular, rarely more than 2-3 mm, hairy.

Flowers

maroon, rarely yellow, faintly fetid, 1-1.7 cm diam.;

sepals triangular-deltate, 4-7 mm, abaxially rusty-tomentose;

outer petals oblong to ovate, 1-1.

1-3 per node, fragrant, large;

sepals triangular, 8-10 mm, abaxially orange-puberulent;

outer petals spreading, white or cream, narrowly oblong to obovate, 2.5-6 cm, abaxially puberulent on veins;

inner petals incurved, white, yellowish white, rarely pink or cherry red, mostly with deep maroon to purple corrugate zone, lance-hastate, 1/3-1/2 length of outer petals, fleshier, base saccate, margins revolute;

pistils 3-8.

Berries

greenish yellow, 3-6(-7) cm.

yellow-green, 4-7 cm.

Seeds

chestnut brown, 1-1.5(-2) cm.

dark to pale brown, lustrous, 1-2 cm.

3cm

, apex excurved, lingulate, surfaces abaxially minutely rusty-tomentose;

inner petals ovate, ca. 1/2 length of outer petals, base saccate, apex strongly recurved, veins adaxially incised, corrugate nectary zone indistinct or absent;

pistils 5-7.

2n

=18.

=18.

Asimina parviflora

Asimina reticulata

Phenology Flowering early spring. Flowering winter–spring.
Habitat Sands, sandy loams, or sandy alluvium of rich woods, alluvial terraces, and upland dry woods Moist sands and sandy peat of pine-palmetto flats, savannas, low fields
Elevation 0-700m (0-2300ft) 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Asimina parviflora is primarily a miniature version of A. triloba in flower, shoot, and leaf; it reaches tree size only in the karst country of Florida. Peduncles at anthesis are often so short that flowers appear sessile. Pubescence is of a lighter red or brown than that of A. triloba. Putative hybrids between the two have been observed in northern Alabama.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Asimina reticulata hybridizes with A. incana and A. pygmaea. Hybrids with the latter frequently have cherry-red inner petals.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Annonaceae > Asimina Annonaceae > Asimina
Sibling taxa
A. incana, A. longifolia, A. obovata, A. pygmaea, A. reticulata, A. tetramera, A. triloba
A. incana, A. longifolia, A. obovata, A. parviflora, A. pygmaea, A. tetramera, A. triloba
Synonyms Orchidocarpum parviflorum, Porcelia parviflora, Uvaria parviflora A. cuneata, Pityothamnus reticulatus
Name authority (Michaux) Dunal: Monogr. Anonac., 82, plate 9. (1817) Shuttleworth ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, 603. (1883)
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