GROUND SOP
(Annona stenophylla)

A tree of ground sop

Family: Annonaceae

Synonyms: Annona nana

Other names: Dwarf custard apple, muroro, ububese

Ground sop is native of Africa.  It is found northern Botswana, northern Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.  As the plant is quite dwarf sized, so the fruit appear literally on ground.  That is the reason of its being called a “ground sop”.

            The fruits of ground sop are rated as more tastier than then those of African custard apple.

Description:

An evergreen small shrub growing upto 60 cm.

Leaves oblong to obovate, bluish-green, variously pubescent, particularly below; venation conspicuous, main veins reddish-purple.

Flowers mostly solitary, axillary;  petals greenish outside, creamy yellow within, fleshy, hairy.

Fruits large, yellow or reddish, pulp pumpkin coloured, sweet.

Utilization:

Ground sop fruits are edible.  These are quite tasty.  Local people eat them raw, cooked, or preserved.  This fruit is very much eaten by the people living in semi-arid northern areas of Botswana

A fruit of ground sop

 and Namibia.  Rather this fruit becomes more or less the staple food of people in that area during the season.

Cultivation:

Ground sop is seen in nature most commonly growing frequently burnt grasslands and open woodlands.  Most of the plants are wild growing. 

            New plants of this fruit can be raised from seed.