米糕娄林果 mi gao lou lin guo

Annona mucosa Jacquin, Observ. Bot. 1: 16. 1764; Rollinia orthopetala A. Candolle.

Trees to 10 m tall. Bark grayish brown, with rose-colored tissue below. Petiole 5-10 mm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic, 15-25 × 8-11 cm, leathery, abaxially pubescent, adaxially smooth and glossy, midvein prominent, secondary veins 11-16 on each side of midvein, base slightly cuneate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences 1-flowered. Flowers 2-3.5 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 2 cm, thick and widening at apex. Sepals broadly triangular, 3-4 mm. Outer petals with conspicuous winglike dorsal appendage; inner petals small and scalelike. Stamens many, ca. 1 mm. Carpels many; styles terminal, short, densely hairy. Syncarp dark green at first, ripening yellow to pale yellow, spherical to oblong, 10-20 × 7-20 cm, with soft protuberances ending in a brown to black fleshy point at apex of each carpel; pulp white or cream, fleshy, with a soft fibrous and mucilaginous texture, juicy and with a pleasant aroma. Seeds dark brown to almost black, ca. 10 × 5 mm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jul-Nov.

Cultivated; 100-200 m. Guangdong [native to tropical South America].

This species is grown for the fine fruit, biriba. The abundant fleshy pulp surrounding the seeds is eaten.