KEY TO THE VARIETIES. 101 



closod. tho Konn ]»n-o a littlo :il»ovo the niiddh*: ijiant colls mostly ahout 

 jis with' as loii.i; and aiij^idai- ( ii-n'.t;ularly (luadiMiiiiular, iK'Uta.uoiial. c>ti-., 

 with n)uiuU'd :ui;;k's), oraiij^e rufous (IV. i:>) in color; branches of the 



fruit clusters lijjlit oranjie Itooiu/u (p. 7S). 



Frit'tt obonitc or ohonitr ohltm;/ (iri<h:<<1 at or ahore the tniddic). it.s .siirfacc 

 shiiiiiifi. (It Irast .'lii nun. toiif/ or. if xliortcr. tltr .seed irith mure or Ics.s 

 coiispiciioiis iciii;i-lihc Idleral ridi/cs. 



I'rult .i.L'> to .n.'> nun. loini. aliout two-thirds as wide, liri.i^ht hay (IV, o) col- 

 ored, the skin wlu'i-e loose tawny ochraceous (V. 4) ; tlesh 4 nun. thick, 

 lijiht brown ; seed irilfi more or Ics.s vonsiiu-iiouK lateral irimj-lih-e r'nttiex, 

 two-thirds to three-fourths as long as the fruit, generally two-tifths as 

 wide as long. bro;ul at iK)th ends, the venlr.-il chniniel freijuently closed; 

 giant cells mostly spherical or very short elliptical, saffron yi'Uow 

 (VI, 4) 1 liexscr Ihiloo (p. IS). 



Fruit .'/() mm. or loiitjer. the -seed irithoiit irinfi-like ridyes (althoiiyh sometimes 

 roiiyhened). 



Fruit someirliat /iddle-sliapetl, widest above the middle but often somewhat nar- 

 rowed at tlie extreme apex, eoiistrieted near the middle. 40 to 4.j nun. long, 

 22.r> to 25 nun. wide, greenish yellow before maturity, between maroon 

 (IV, 2) and i»rune ])uri)le (VIII, 1) when rijie; skin where loose ochra- 

 ceous (V. 7) : tlesh ."• mm. thick, firm but tender: seed aliout three-tifths 

 as liaig as (h(> fruit, .niiout oiu'-third as with' as long, the ventral channel 

 (»pen, germ i)ore sm;ill and inconspicuous; yidnt cells all rounded, de- 

 eidedhj lont/er than iridc. fcrnitiinoiis (IV, 10) in color; branches of the 

 fruit clusters orange Boo Fai/oos (]i. <">7). 



Fruit not fiddle-shaped nor constricted near the middle, yiant cells ain/iilar, 

 about as iride as Ion;/, saffron ijcllon- (\'I. 4) to hylit oranf/e (VI, ."}) 

 in color. 



Fruit 4,") to oO nun. long, slightly more than one-half to three-fifths as wide, 

 conspiciioiisli/ irider ahore Hum beloir ttie midille. then inirroired to the 

 blunt ape.i, brif/ht oranyc before maturiti/.hrii/Jit purplisli maroon (IV. 2) 

 vhen ripe: skin loose over nuich of the surface, ochniceous (V, 7) to 

 ochr.Mceous rufous (V. .".) ; Hcsh to 7 mm. thick: seed 24 to 27 nun. 

 long, about two-fifths as wide, cinnamon brown (III. 20). the ventral 

 chann(4 open : branches of the fruit clusters deep oi-an<ie. 



lioo Affar (p. (>(i). 



Fruit 40 to GO mm. long, one-half to two-thirds as wide, onlii sliyhtlp wider aborc 

 thtni heloir the middle, broad and rounded at apex, dull orantie before 

 maturilij. lipht bail (IV. ")) or liazel {IV. 12) colored irlten ripe, the skin 

 in large part loose and conspicuously blistered in the ripe fruit, orange 

 (VI, ;i) to ochraceous (V, 7) in color; ttesh 5 to O mm. thick; seed about 

 one-half as long as the fruit, less than one-half as wide as long, cinna- 

 mon rufons (IV. Ki) in color, its surface roughened here and there with 

 irregul.-ir ridges and furrows, the ventral channel freipiently closed, 

 the germ pore .above the nuddle ; giant cells very diverse in shai)e 

 and size, irregularly quadrangular, pear or cigar shaped, saffron (VI, 4) 

 to orange (VI, 3) in colon; hrunchcH of the fruit clusters light orange. 



Areshty (p. 71). 



NARR0\V SOFT DATES. 



i^kin conspicuously marlxcd with short, linear scars, fruit 47.5 to 52.5 mm. long, 

 17.5 to 20 mm. wide, oblong, tapering slightly from base to apex, not 

 curved or very slightly so. brii/lit bay (IV. 5) n'hen ripe, the skin where 

 loose ochraceous (V. 7) colored; tlesli ;> to 4 mm. thick, soft, translucent; 

 seed oO nnn. long, about one-third as wide,, the ventral channel sometimes 

 closed, the germ pore considerably above the middle, very distinct ; giant 

 cells mostly 2 to :? times as long as wide, mostly angular or pointed. I'nw 

 sienna (V, 2) coloi'ed , Tafazu'een (p. OS). 



Skin not marked n'ith linear scars, giant cells rounded, or. if angular, lite fruit 

 prune purple (^'III. 1) ivhen ripe. 



Fruit 50 to 62.5 ))im. long. 22.5 to 27.5 mm. wide, oblong, somewhat pointed at 

 apex, usually curved, greenish yellow before maturity, prune purple 

 (VIII, 1) with considerable bloom when ripe; skin where loose russet 



92 



