oblong, mostly acute, entire, nerved, glaucous beneath : 

 the petioles short, thickened below. Peduncles lateral, 

 generally two-flowered. Flowers pendent. Calyx in three 

 triangular, acute segments, small. Petals : three exte- 

 rior ones an inch long, lanceolate, triquetrous, of a thick 

 and fleshy texture, glabrous, moderately spreading, green 

 without, pale within, and having a deep purple-coloured 

 depression at the base of each; three interior petals minute 

 (according to authors, but neither Swartz mentions them, 

 nor does Mr. Guilding figure or describe any). Stamens 

 forming a very compact, broad ring or circle around the 

 pistils, obtuse : Filament very short. Cells of the anther 

 longitudinal, occupying the same plane as the filament. 

 Pistils collected into a compact, cone-shaped body, very 

 small, each with a capitate and somewhat acute stigma. 

 Fruit compound, large, roundish or oval, of a yellowish- 

 green colour, embossed with prominent, oblong and some- 

 what imbricated, obtuse, adnate scales, which in maturity 

 spread and are more depressed; internally filled with as 

 many pulpy cells as there are united fruits, some being abor- 

 tive, the rest one-seeded : these all radiate from a central, 

 oblongo-acuminated receptacle, from which, when ripe, the 

 pulp readily separates. Seeds oblong, deep brownish- 

 black, compressed, with a pale swelling at the hilum. 

 Albumen filled with numerous transverse, brown lines or 

 clefts. 



The Sweet-sop or Sugar-Apple has been mentioned by 

 some authors as a native exclusively of South America, 

 by others, as both of Asiatic and American origin. St. 

 Hilaire *, however, has come to the conclusion, that it was 

 imported from the East Indies to the New World. " The 

 Brazilians," he says, « designate all their Annonas which 

 are truly indigenous, by the word Araticu, which belongs to 

 the Guazani tongue. With regard, however, to the Annona 

 squamosa, which I have always seen cultivated, and which 

 Vellozo, in his MSS. mentions as not being a native of 

 the country, it is known under the names of Pinha, or 

 Ata. The first of these is evidently given, from the resem- 

 blance of the fruit to that of the Pine-apple: yet it is never 

 applied to those indigenous species which have the same 

 torm consequently it was introduced to Brazil along with 

 the plant. The second name Ata, is derived from Attoa and 



Atis, 



* Plantes Usuelles des Braziliens, Livr. 6. p. 5. 



