Cherimoya

The Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a species of Annona native to the Andean-highland valleys of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. It is today extensively cultivated in Chile, making the nation one of the main exporters of Cherimoya in the region. It is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 7 m tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, 7-15 cm long and 6-10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in small clusters, each flower 2-3 cm across, with six petals, yellow-brown, often spotted purple at the base. The fruit is oval, often slightly oblique, 10-20 cm long and 7-10 cm diameter, with a smooth or slightly tuberculated skin. The fruit flesh is white, and has numerous seeds embedded in it.