PAWPAW

also spelled papaw (Asimina triloba) deciduous tree or shrub of the custard-apple family, Annonaceae (order Magnoliales), native to the United States from the Atlantic coast north to New York state and west to Michigan and Kansas. It can grow to 12 m (40 feet) tall with pointed, broadly oblong, drooping leaves up to 30 cm (12 inches) long. The malodorous, purple five-centimetre (two-inch) flowers appear in spring before the leaves. The edible, 8- to 18-centimetre (3- to 7-inch) long fruits resemble stubby bananas; the skin turns black as the fruit ripens. They vary, depending on the variety, in size, time of ripening, and flavour. Some persons may develop a skin reaction after handling pawpaw fruits. The other seven species of Asimina, which are shrubby North American plants, include A. speciosa and A. angustifolia. The name pawpaw is also sometimes applied to the papaya (q.v.; Carica).