About Annona purpurea Moç. & Sessé ex Dunal
Annona purpurea Moç. & Sessé ex Dunal, commonly called soncoya, is a small deciduous tree that reaches a maximum height of 6 to 10 metres (20 to 33 ft). It produces hairy leaves and large, strong-scented flowers. Its pollen is released as permanent tetrads. The fruit of this species is rounded, measuring 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) wide. It is covered in felt-textured brown skin that is difficult to cut open when ripe, and its surface features hooklike projections that give it a superficial resemblance to a durian. The fruit contains many seeds, which take between 1 and 6 months to germinate. Trees begin bearing fruit approximately 1 to 3 years after planting, and this species can be grown in containers. Annona purpurea is closely related to cherimoya, sugar-apple, and other Annona species. Within the Annona genus, the soncoya is fairly obscure. Its fruit is of indifferent quality and has not attracted wide commercial cultivation. The fruit has a texture similar to that of soursop, which some people describe as stringy or fibrous.
