66 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
tion of the name ** nispero”* to this species, though erroneous and misleading to 
strangers, is universal in Porto Rico, and has led Mr, Hill and possibly other 
writers to report the loqguat as abundant, the latter fruit bearing the name nispero 
in Spain and in Spanish lexicons. 
The sapodilla tree grows toa height of 25 or 30 feet (7 to 9 meters) and has 
shining dark green leaves. The fruit is somewhat larger than a hen’s egg, with a 
rather rough, brownish skin, suggesting an Irish potato with earth adhering. It 
has a yellowish pulp and 4 or 5 black seeds, The wood is said to be soft, although 
Captain Hansard gives the specific gravity as 1.02. This tree furnishes the mate- 
rial imported in recent years in large quantities from Mexico under the name of 
‘chicle,’ or ** gum chicle.’ and used mostly in the manufacture of chewing 
gum. It is obtained by the evaporation of the milky juice secured by tapping the 
trees or by pressure from the fruit. 
The sapodilla is one of the tropical fruits which, like the mango and avocado 
pear, may have a future in the American market. Experiments have been made 
by the Division of Pomology with sapodillas raised on the Florida Keys and they 
were found, contrary to expectations. to stand shipment well. The skin, while 
not thick or hard, does not seem particularly susceptible to decay, and it is 
believed that with proper care in harvesting and packing sapodillas could be kept 
in good condition for ten days or two weeks, to say nothing of the possibilities of 
cold storage. The fruit is also believed by some of the fruit experts to be one 
which is likely to become popular if it can be furnished in sufficient quantities to 
give it a regukar place in the market. 
The question of varieties of sapodillas has not received att. ntion as yet, but 
should be given careful consideration if planting for export is undertaken. The 
testimony of travelers in Mexico and other countries where the fruit abounds, 
indicates that the natural differences in quality between the unselected seedlings 
are very appreciable so that asearch for superior varieties might be richly repaid. 
The fact that in the culture of the sapodilla the production of ** chicle** could 
be made an alternative resource, when the fruit could not be properly marketed, 
would give the industry an advantage over many lines of fruit growing. 
Grosourdy describes this tree as furnishing a very good wood, of good weight. 
more than ordinarily hard, compact in texture, and fine-grained. The color is 
light red with darker stripes. It is as strong and as good as ** balata “ or ** pargo”’ 
and might replace these if it grew wild and was more abundant. Specific gravity, 
1.021. (Grosourdy, 2: 413.) 
Bello gives *ausubo” as the common name of a synonym of this species. 
Acisanthera quadrata. CAMACEY DE CHARCOs. 
Family Melastomaceae; a slender, somewhat woody herb growing in sandy over- 
flowed situations. (Stahl, 4: 119.) 
Acnistus arborescens. GALAN ARBOREO. 
Family Solanaceae; a shrub or low tree, smooth, and much branched; grows in 
vaste places and mountainous localities to an altitude of 500 feet (155 meters) or 
more; flowers in March. (Stahl, 4: 142.) 
Grosourdy gives “palo de gallina” as the common name of this tree and describes 
it asa wild tree from Porto Rico, Trinidad, and as far as Caracas, 15 to 25 feet 
high (5 to 8 meters), with a trunk 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) in diameter. 
It furnishes a soft wood, dirty white in color, that breaks with a vertical frac- 
ture. Its most common uses are as fuel and for the framework of rude houses. 
He states that the common name is derived from the fact that the fruit kills 
chickens if eaten by them. (Grosourdy, 2: 406.) 
Acrista monticola. PALMA DE SIERRA. 
Family Arecaceae; among the mountains between Cayey and Guayama many 
summits are covered with the palma de sierra, probably in places which have 
