Asimina × oboreticulata DeLaney

(Asimina obovata × Asimina reticulata)

Flag pawpaw

Introduction

Flag pawpaw (Asimina × oboreticulata) is an accepted natural hybrid between A. obovata and A. reticulata, two members of the Parviflora Clade. It was described from Florida by DeLaney as part of a broader study of natural hybridization in the genus. Plants of the World Online continues to accept the hybrid and gives Florida as its native range. (DeLaney, 2010; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2026).

Horticultural and Agricultural Uses

No established horticultural or agricultural use is documented for this hybrid. Its principal interest is botanical: it provides direct evidence that neighboring pawpaw species can exchange genes where their ranges and flowering periods overlap.

Conservation Concerns

No independent formal conservation assessment was located for A. × oboreticulata. Because it is a naturally occurring hybrid rather than a broadly distributed species lineage, its persistence is best understood in relation to populations of A. obovata and A. reticulata and the Florida habitats in which they meet.

Additional Information

References and Further Reading

DeLaney, K.R. 2010. Asimina manasota (Annonaceae), a new pawpaw from west-central Florida, with notes on variation and natural hybridization within the genus. Botanical Explorer 4: 1-68.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Asimina × oboreticulata. Plants of the World Online. Link (opens in a new tab)