KEW GARDEN MUSEUM. 383 
nos Poires ou de nos Prunes valent mieux que toutes les Cherimollos du 
Pérou.") 
Common, or Netted Custard-apple, Bullock's heart. Anona reticulata, 
L. (See figure in the ‘ Botanical Magazine,’ tab. 2911 and 2912.) 
Fruit. Said to be a native of the West Indian Islands, and thence in- 
troduced into the East Indies and the Malay Archipelago; cultivated 
abundantly in tropical regions, generally for the sake of its fruit, which 
is neither muricated nor scaly, but reticulated, and of which Sir Hans 
Sloane says, “ It is for colour and consistence and sweetness in taste, 
like a custard, whence the English name; it is eaten with a spoon, and 
thought a very delicious substance ; yet by others it is but little prized.” 
M‘Fadyen says it would be a very excellent fruit, were it not that it 
is rather too luscious. 
Negro-pepper, or Guinea-pepper. Habzelia ZEthiopica, Alph. De Cand. 
(Unona, De Cand.) The small torulose fruit, when dry, is aromatic 
and pungent, and is the Piper Athiopicum of commerce ; used as pepper 
by the natives of the African coast, where the plant is a native. It is 
also cultivated in Brazil (Mr. Wetherall). On the Gold Coast it is 
called Hiru (Sir John Richardson). 
Other little-known fruits of Anonacee are in the collection, but no- 
thing is ascertained of their properties and uses.—Gzertner and others 
refer to this Natural Order a plant that is supposed by Mr. R. Brown 
to be a native of Western Africa, but only botanically known to us 
through Gzertner, and a drawing by the late Dr. Bancroft, published 
in the ‘ Botanical Magazine,’ tab. 3059: it is the American Nutmeg of 
Long’s ‘History of Jamaica, Monodora Myristica of Dunal and De 
Candolle. The only tree with which Dr. M‘Fadyen was acquainted 
was in “Miss Green’s garden in Liguanea, Jamaica, near Constant 
Spring Estate.” The fruit is a large subglobose berry, containing 
numerous seeds “so impregnated with aromatic oil, resembling that 
of the East Nutmeg, as to admit of being employed for similar pur- 
poses in food or medicine: the only perceptible difference is that they 
are less pungent.” This information is the more interesting, because 
recent investigations have shown that there is a great natural affinity 
between the Nutmeg family and that of the Custard-apple.—We 
should be thankful to any resident in Jamaica or in Western Africa, 
who would procure specimens and information, and communicate them 
to us. 
