Asimina manasota

Asimina manasota, commonly referred to as Manasota pawpaw, is a rare species of pawpaw endemic to Manatee and Sarasota counties in Florida, USA.

Habitat

It is known from turkey oak sandhill and xeric flatwoods, habitats which were once much more common around the head of the Manatee River.

Conservation

It is now known from only a handful of remaining sites, two of them being protected, where there are an estimated 20 to 25 plants. Exceptional ex situ conservation efforts have been undertaken by Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, including cryopreservation and creation of tissue culture lines, as traditional seed banking methods aren't viable for this species.