''Anonidium mannii'', the junglesop, is a fast-growing tropical African tree that grows to 8–30 m high, with a girth of up to 2 m.Useful plants of Bas-Congo province, DR Congo (2004) It has 20–40 cm long leaves and large flowers which produce edible fruits generally around 4–6 kg, but which can be up to around 15 kg. Fruit flavor is rich but variable and is sometimes described as an acquired taste, though the fruits are generally in high demand in Africa, with large fruits commanding high prices. The fruit is a favorite with local people (who refer to it as "bobo") and local primates, especially

bonobo The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee (less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee), is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus ''Pan (genus), Pan'' (the other bei ...

Fruit

After approximately 10 years, junglesops begin to produce fruit seasonally. Normally around 5 kg, some are up to 15 kg, making the junglesop not only the largest of the

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

but one of the largest fruits in the world, though not as large as the

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

or '' Telfairia pedata''. Inside the tough, leathery brown skin patterned with raised diamond-shapes is a soft yellow-orange pulp with a somewhat peachy but unique flavor ranging from sweet to sour depending upon the genetic qualities of the tree concerned and upon its ripeness when harvested.Lost Crops of Africa: Vol. III: Fruits
/ref> Some fruits do not taste good, but its rich flavor appeals to most palates and it is rich in vitamin A.

Reproductive biology

Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads.

Cultivation

Recommended cultivation distance is 8 meters square, and planting several trees together is recommended to ensure good pollination. Trees reportedly prefer a rich, acidic and moist but well drained soil. As an

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...

tree, it is shade tolerant, but susceptible to wind damage. Attempts at cultivation have also been hampered by insect attack and fungal diseases. Where it occurs naturally, the tree is not generally cultivated, possibly due to the availability of the fruit from wild trees, possibly due to the fact that although fast-growing, trees take so long to bear fruit.

Distribution

The natural range of the junglesop is jungles of central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon. As well as in lowland

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

s, it grows on fringing forest and adjacent savanna especially next to rivers, provided the soil is well drained."Congo Native Fruits" by Danforth & Noren, 1998 It has also been planted in Hawaii, Malaysia and Australia, but has not yet set fruit. A single tree is known to be growing in the continental US, in the Miami garden of pomologist Bill Whitman, though it too has never fruited.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4770012 mannii Fruits originating in Africa Trees of Africa Plants described in 1867