14 M. J. C. DE MELLO AND MR. B. SPBUCE OX PAPAYACEiE. 



Note. — ^Mr. Hanburj? has pointed out to me that the second or 



monoieous form of Carica papaya is plainly indicated \>j Piso 

 (Hist. Nat. et Medic, Amstelaedami, 1658) in the 23rd chapter 

 of his 4th Book, headed " JPmoguagu maa et foemina, et Java- 

 catid,''^ the native names of Papaw being, as the author after- 

 wards explains, Pinoguagu and Papay^ although the Portuguese 

 have called it Mamoeiro. According to Piso, if a male tree be 

 transplanted about its third year, it generally brings forth a few 

 fruits ; and his figure (p. 160) represents such a fruit-bearing 

 male, the fruits being pendulous therefrom on long peduncles, 

 precisely as described by Senhor MeUo ; and he makes the fol- 

 lowing comment on the fact : — " Hence it is false that the males 

 do not bear fruit, as also that the females do not bear fruit ex- 

 cept by communication with the male ; for repeated experience 

 has shown the contrary ; but the fruit of the male, when it is 

 produced, hangs downwards on a long stalk." (" Falsum porro 

 mares non ferre fructum, uti et foeminam non ferre fructum nisi 

 mas adstet; contrarium enim multiplex experientia docuit ; fructus 

 vero maris quando nascitur pendiculo illo longo pendulus est deor- 

 8um versus, &c.," Piso, I. c.) The fruit (he adds) is smaller and 

 slenderer than in the female plant ; and the flesh is paler and 

 not quite so palatable. 



It is worthy of Senhor Mello's further inquiry whether the male 

 plants which he has found bearing fruit have acquired that pro- 

 perty by transplantation, or by some other accident of growth, 

 which, by arresting the lateral development of the peduncles, has 

 concentrated the nutriment in the axial flowers, thereby render- 

 ing their otherwise abortive ovary capable of being fecundated. 



Ihe name Ptno-guagu, t, e. Great J^^ettle, has probably been 

 applied by the Brazilians to this plant from the similarity 

 of its leaves to the large deeply -jagged foliage of some tro- 

 pical Nettles. I have not myself heard it used. The name 

 Papaya originated with the Caribs of the Isles ; and I have heard 

 it variously pronounced by their descendants on the Orinoc© and 



L 



r- 



Map 



Mapaya, and Mamaya. Humboldt 

 3 Maypure (and Carib) word for 



>> 



thinks) to that of honey. 



B. S. 



