Annona squamosa - Não

Elsie E. Lower

1910

Annona squamosa - Não by Elsie E. Lower, 1910

Imagine a fruit that looks like a dark, bumpy pinecone but hides a creamy, custard-like interior—that’s the sugar apple (*Annona squamosa*). Elsie E. Lower painted this detailed study in 1910, documenting a specimen sent by horticulturist Dr. J. Franceschi from Santa Barbara. The cross-section reveals a whimsical, almost face-like arrangement of shiny black seeds nestled in white flesh, contrasting sharply with the rugged, chocolate-brown skin of the whole fruit above. These precise illustrations served as vital scientific records for the USDA, helping farmers identify exotic crops long before color photography was reliable.

Technique
Watercolor
Material
Paper
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