217 



to stand the drought extremely well. Largo trees were seen about 

 Guaymas surrounded by almost desert conditions. 



The fruits ripen toward the close of the dry season. At Guaymas 

 and Mazatlan they ripen the last of May. The boys and men gather 

 the pods by the basketful and sell them in the streets as bananas are sold 

 in our own cities. The pods and seeds are largely sold in the markets. 

 The latter are often put up in little cone-shaped wrappers, which, 

 with their contents, are sold for a cent apiece. An old tree will pro- 

 duce many bushels of fruit, which is valued at the rate of $25 per tree. 

 The pods are about 10 to 15 cm. long; when mature, somewhat reddish 

 or flesh colored and irregularly swollen. After the seeds have fallen 

 the valves usually become strongly coiled. The part which is eaten is 

 not the seed proper, but the large, tleshy aril, which almost completely 

 surrounds and hides it, measuring 30 mm. (15 lines) long by 15 mm. (7 

 lines) thick. The aril is usually white, sometimes reddish, very crisp, 

 sweetish, and very palatable. It is always eaten raw. At first sight 

 it appears to be composed of a single covering, but in reality it is prob- 

 ably composed of many separate series of fleshy cells strongly com- 

 pressed. The seed proper is small, black, flattened, 10 mm. long. 



Pithecolobium ligusticifolium also has a very large aril, but it is not 

 at all edible. The aril is a bright scarlet, much less fleshy and more 

 tibrous than in P. duhr. 



MALPIGHIACEAE. 



Byrsonima crassifolia H. B. K. Nanche. 



Nanche is a wild fruit which is brought into all the markets in great 

 quantities. 1 1 grows on a small bush or shrub 1.8 to 3.0 meters (0 to 12 

 feet) high. The drupe is about the size of a small cherry, yellow in 

 color, and of somewhat acid taste. It is generally eaten raw, but is 

 sometimes put into soups as a flavoring, and sometimes added to the 

 stuffing of tomales. 



At Colomas I saw nanche, rice, and olives cooked with stewed 



chicken. 



RUTACEAE. 



Casimiroa edulis La Llnve. Zapote llLANCO " 



1 did not see much of this fruit, but it is said to be very common in 



all the markets. A few specimens were seen at Mazatlan. 



The fruit is about 5 cm. (2 inches) in diameter and contains 5 large 



seeds. The tree is said to be native, but I saw it only in cultivation. 



ANACARDIACEAE. 



Spondias spp. 



The ciruela or Mexican plum (fruit of the ciruelo) is one of the impor- 

 tant fruits of Mexico. The annual crop is valued at over $70,000. In 

 its season it is a universal favorite and is then the most common fruit 

 seen in the markets. 

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