94 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
in the upper portion of the ripe fruit on which the three 
lobed style remains plainly distinguishable, merely having 
slightly increased in size during the growth of the fruit 
(see Plate 47, fig. 1). The fruit is fleshy throughout with 
no indication of a core when fully mature. 
In ripening, the fruit passes from green to purple and 
finally to dark purple or almost black in age. The pulp, 
which is very tender, is of a characteristic sweetish-bitter 
taste. The bitter principle is not evident for a few seconds 
after tasting the fruit; but like that of the Indian turnip, 
though not so strong, soon makes itself known and persists 
fora considerabletime. Dr. Trelease* quotes Mr. Burbidge 
as having characterized the taste as resembling a mixture of 
black currant jam and quinine. The fruits vary somewhat 
in taste, some being quite pleasant and agreeable. A 
careful selection of the fruits for a number of years would, 
I think without question, result in developing valuable edible 
varieties. The fruits, it is said, are sometimes eaten by 
man. They, however, are surely not much sought and 
man only aids in their dissemination incidentally, spreading 
the plant by cultivating it as a showy garden perennial. It 
is popularly reported that people are occasionally made sick 
by eating the fruits. 
Extended observations through three seasons have fully 
confirmed the fact that the mocking bird (Mimus polyglot- 
tus) is a very important factor in aloifolia dissemination, 
especially in what may be termed long distance dissemina- 
tion. The mocking bird is very abundant throughout 
the range of alotfolia and may be the only animal dissem- 
inator of this species. At least I have not been able to 
observe any other bird or animal eating its fruits. It is 
not improbable that the fruit of aloifolia has become es- 
pecially adapted for dissemination by the mocking bird or 
some small bird of similar habits. The core which occurs 
in all other baccate fruited Yuccas known to the author, 
* Trelease, Wm., “Notes and Observations. 7. Yucca Guatemalensés 
Baker,” 1. c., p. 166, 
