PITTIER—PLANTS FROM COLOMBIA AND CENTRAL AMERICA. 83 
localities in Central America and the West Indies, 9 were found to have 9 sepals, 
while 4 had 10 and 2 only 8. The normal number seems to be 9, though Pierre 
gives 4 to 7 such divisions. The stamens were found to be generally inserted a little 
lower than the staminodes, indicating that they belong to the inner whorl of the 
andreecium. The stigma is seldom distinctly or even obscurely radiate, the style 
ending simply in an obtuse point. 
Has Calocarpum mammosum ever been found in a truly wild state by botanical collec- 
tors? It isone of the principal fruit trees in its area and assuch belongs rather to the 
class of semicultivated plants, like Biza orellana, Mammea americana, Persea gratissima, 
Crescentia cujete, and others. De la Maza?‘ indicates it as cultivated in Cuba, and 
Cook and Collins ? say it is rare in Porto Rico. While the product of the cacao tree 
was highly prized by the Mexicans and constituted the usual beverage among the 
nobility, Peschel * reports that the peoples of Central America, among them prin- 
cipally the Chorotegas, gave the preference to the zapote, which was generally culti- 
vated for a similar use. And again, Juarros* informs us that the sapuyul, or kernel 
of the zapote seed, was one of the main exchange products of the people of Suchilte- 
pequez, in Guatemala, at the end of the eighteenth century. According to Mr. G. N. 
Collins’ the peeled kernels of the same seeds are still offered for sale in the markets of 
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama the zapote 
tree is often met with in the forests, in isolated specimens, but almost always in 
places that are known to have been formerly inhabited by man. 
Notwithstanding the lack of evidence as to the existence of Calocarpum mammosum 
in the wild condition, it seems that it must be considered a native of Central America. 
The showy appearance and cleanliness of the seeds may have helped in some wise in 
the dissemination of the tree. In Santa Marta (Colombia) I have seen them carried 
as a curiosity by the Indians of the mountains, who did not seem to know the tree 
and had no name for it, although they readily assimilated it to their own “‘manzana” 
(Lucuma argoacoensis Karst.). 
The reddish zapote wood is said by Grosourdy ° to be fine-grained, compact, hard, 
and apparently suitable for cabinetwork. The supply, however, would always be 
very limited, as the tree is rather protected by the natives on account of the fruit. 
Besides, it usually forks very low, so that trunks of any good length are seldom 
available. 
The fruit has a thick, juicy mesocarp, of a reddish or pinkish color, and a little 
sticky on account of the latex it contains. The flavor is sweetish, with a peculiar 
squashy strain, quite delectable if we believe some Spanish authors, but not generally 
to the taste of foreigners. This strain might, however, be removed or improved by 
1 Gomez de la Maza, Manuel. Nociones de Botanica sistematica. 76. 1893. 
2 Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: 178. 1903. 
3 Peschel, Oscar. Geschichte des Zeitalters der Entdeckungen 513. 1858. The 
Sapota Apfel here referred to are the fruit of Achras zapota. 
4 Juarros, Domingo. Historia de la ciudad de Guatemala, edicién del Museo 
euatemalteco 23. 1857. As the note here referred to is a very interesting addition to 
the economic history of the zapote tree, it is well to reproduce it in whole: 
“ Sapuyul es la almendra del zapote, fruta como de medio pié de largo: la almendra 
tiene de dos 4 tres pulgadas: se halla dentro de una cdscara, como la de la avellana; 
sobre ella hay una médula de color encarnado, tan hermosa 4 la vista como deleitosa 
al gusto, y encima de esta una corteza un poco dura. Los Indios y gente pobre se 
sirven del sapuyul para hacer chocolate, mezcléndolo con cacao: es tanta la abun- 
dancia de zapotes en esta provincia, que botan la fruta, por cojer el sapuyul, y éste 
tiene tal consumo, que solo en la plaza de Quezaltenango se venden de cuatro 4 cinco 
mil pesos de dicha almendra al afio.”’ 
5 Manuscript notes. 
6 Grosourdy, Renéde, M. D. El Médico botdnico criollo 2: 398. 1864. 
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