35. Anona reticulata, Linn.

The medicinal plant Anona reticulata is a member of the Annonaceae (custard apple) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 78;
Roxb. 453.

Vernacular:—Louna, Ram-phal (H.); Nona (Beng.); Gom (Santal); Ram-phal (Bomb. Deck., Mar., Guj., Kan.); Ramsita or ramsitu-plam (Tam.); Rama-pandu, ramaphalam or rama-chandar pandu (Tel.)

English Names:—The Bullock’s Heart, or true Custard Apple of the West Indies.

Habitat:— small tree, naturalised in India, occurring in Bengal, Burma and South India.

Botanical description:—A large tree (often growing 20-40 ft.)

Leaves: oblong or oblong-lanceolate, quite glabrous, smooth or roughish beneath; 5-8 by 1½-2 in., base acute; petiole ½ in.

Flowers: 2-3 together on lateral peduncles.

Sepals: 3, small, valvate.

Petals: 3, narrow, oblong, thick,

Fruit: subglobose, roughish outside with pentagonal areoles; tawny-coloured when ripe.

Much cultivated in the Bombay gardens. A native of the West Indies quite naturalized.

Parts used: Bark and fruit.

Medicinal uses:—The bark is said to be a powerful astringent, and to be much used as a tonic by the Malays and Chinese. The fruit is reported to be used in the West Indies and by the natives of America, as an anti-dysenteric and vermifuge. (Watt’s Dictionary, Vol: I. p. 259).