8 THALAMIFLOIl^E. 



and 2 broad : petiole short, plane above. Peduncle opposite 

 to a leaf, twice the length of the petiole, solitary, 1 -flowered, 

 thick, terete, furnished with 2 scale-like bracteas. Flowers 

 rather smaller than those of the common Sour-Sop. Calyx 

 nearly 3-angular, 3-fid : divisions subacuminate, ciliated, with 

 fulvous hair. Petals of an olive green colour, not stained on the 

 back with purple, velutino-puberulous ; the 3 outer rotundo- 

 ovate, subacuminate, thick, leathery ; the 3 inner of nearly the 

 same size as the outer, but thinner, concave, rounded. Fruit 

 subspherical, covered with fleshy subulate straight spinules. 



This, at first sight would appear to be nearly allied to A. 

 MURiCATA. On examination they will be found to be distinct 

 species. The fruit is dry and not edible. 



3. Anona palustris. Alligator apple, or West India 



Cork-wood. 



Leaves oblong or ovato-oblong acuminate very 

 glabrous, peduncles alternating with or opposite to a 

 leaf, petals acute, fruit subareolated. 



Sloane, II. 169. t. 228. f. \.—Swartz, Obs. 223.— Z>e Cand. 

 Syst. I. 469. 



HAB. Marshy land near the Sea. Rochefort. The Ferry. 

 Morasses at the east end of the Island. 



FL. March — June. 



A tree 6 — 15 feet in height. Leaves slightly acuminate, 

 finely nerved. Peduncles towards the end of the branches, 

 about the same length as the petiole, solitary, 1 -flowered. 

 Bracteas scale-like ; one external at the base of the peduncle ; 

 the other on the inside and higher up. Flowers greenisli 

 yellow, resembling in size and appearance those of the common 

 Soicr-Sop. Petals ; the 3 outer ones roundish-ovate, sub- 

 acuminate, concave, thick, leathery ; the 3 inner half the size 

 of the outer, acute, externally whitish, internally of a dark 

 blood-colour. Berry size of the Sour-Sop, heart-shaped, green, 

 glabrous, subareolated. 



The fruit of this species has a somewhat grateful smell ; but 

 to the taste it is very disagreeable, and is said to be narcotic, 

 and even poisonous. The Alligators, according to Long, sub- 

 sist, at certain seasons, on the fruit of this tree, and he describes 

 them as watching for it, when ripe, to drop into the water. 

 The wood is very light, and is employed by the Negroes as a 

 substitute for cork, to stop up the mouths of their Calabashes, 

 and other rude vessels. The floats of fishing nets are also made 

 of it. 



This, and the two preceding species are evergreens. In 

 those which follow, the old leaves drop ofl^ some time previous 

 to the complete development of the new ones. 



