Asimina × piedmontana C.N. Horn

Piedmont Hybrid Pawpaw

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Piedmont Hybrid Pawpaw is a native deciduous shrub in the Custard-Apple family (Annonaceae). It is a naturally occurring hybrid of Small Fruit Pawpaw (Asimina parviflora (Michaux) Dunal) and Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba (Linnaeus) Dunal). It Alabama it has been found in the northern and central portions of the state, and can be expected wherever the two parents occur in close proximity. Piedmont Hybrid Pawpaw occurs on floodplains and adjacent lower slopes. It is a colonial, deciduous shrub 4-9 feet in height. The branches are commonly arching. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, obovate in outline, glabrous above and rusty pubescent below, especially along the veins, with entire margins. The petiole is rusty pubescent. Flowers are solitary, axillary, and are produced before of with the emerging leaves. Flowers have 3 pubescent sepals that are greenish-brown in color and 6 petals in two series of 3. The flowers are reddish or purplish-brown in color. The outer petals are elongate and recurved. They are pubescent on the outer surface. The inner petals are about ½ the length of the outer and have rounded tips. The fruit is a cylindrical berry with many large seed. Piedmont Hybrid Pawpaw is intermediate between the two parents in peduncle length (8-12 mm) and outer petal length (10-20 mm) or width (15-27 mm). Vegetative individuals are most similar to young Common Pawpaw.—A. Diamond

A natural hybrid between Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and Small Fruit Pawpaw (Asimina parviflora).

Native

Diamond, A.R. 2020. Vascular plant species new to the flora of Alabama. Castanea 85(1): 139–145.