Asimina parviflora (Michx.) Dunal

Small Fruit Pawpaw; Small Flower Pawpaw

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Small Fruit Pawpaw is a colonial deciduous shrub in the Custard-Apple family (Annonaceae). It is found throughout Alabama. Small Fruit Pawpaw occurs in mesic to xeric forests, in sandhills, on roadsides, and on creek banks. It is a thicket forming deciduous shrub. Stems are from 1-10 feet in height. The young shoots are hairy with dark-brown hairs. The bark on older trunks is smooth and gray in color. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, obovate to oblanceolate in outline, with entire margins. Leaves are pubescent when young, becoming glabrous or pubescent only along the veins on the lower surface with age. The leaves turn yellowish-green before falling in the autumn. Flowers are produced with or before the leaves. The flowers occur on the previous seasons growth and are solitary and nodding on short stalks. The flowers have 3 or 4 triangular-deltate sepals and 6-8 petals in 2 unequal whorls. The petals and sepals are rusty pubescent. The inner petals are ½ the length of the outer petals. There are numerous stamens. The flowers are dark purple-brown to yellowish-green in color and have an unpleasant odor. The fruit is an oblong-cylindrical berry with many large chestnut-brown bean-like seed. Small Fruit Pawpaw fruit are readily consumed by a variety of wildlife. When the fruit are ripe, they become yellowish in color and the flesh has the consistency of an over-ripe banana. The fruit taste something like a combination of banana and strawberry.—A. Diamond

**

Native FACU (NWPL)

**