106 DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



Fniit irlien ripe chcfitntit colored (IV. 9) u-ith a rery aUyht purple tinpe, the 

 skin where loose tawny olive (III, IT) or ochraceous (V, 7), shiny, the 

 fruit liri^iht orange before maturity, nearly 50 mm. long, somewhat 

 pointed and coiispiciioii.slii oiie-sidrd at apcr. not Iceeping its shape well 

 when ripe; flesh about 4.5 mm. thick, extremely soft and Hirnpy; seed 

 23 to 24 mm. long. aUout two-fifths as wide, chestnut (IV, 9) colored; 

 the ventral channel more or less closed, giant cells very diverse in size 

 and shajip. all angled (often sharply so), generally considerably longer 

 than wide, triangular, quadrangular, or somewhat pear-shaped, the out- 

 lines often very irregular, ferruginous (IV, 10) in color__/^ec/»o (p. 89). 



Fruit irheii ripehay (IV, 5) or maroon (IV. 2) to prune purple (VIII, 1) {varying 

 to hazel (IV. 12) in Areshty). not or not conspicuously one sided at apex. 



White fibrous lining to the central cavity almost none, flesh only ahout 2 mm. 

 thick, all soft and dark colored when ripe; fruit 45 nnu. long, oblong, 

 narrowed slightly at both ends, keeping its shape only fairly well when 

 ripe, bright orange yellow before maturity, maroon (IV, 2) with slight 

 purple tinge when ripe. .s7.-/;( icliere loose saffron (VI. 4) to orange {\l.S), 

 shiny ; seed about three-fifths as long as the fruit and about one-third as 

 wide as long, the ventral channel open or closed; giant cells never moi-e 

 and usu.-illy less than twice as long as wide, quite varialtle in form, nearly 

 all angular, in outline trianguLir. quadrangular, or somewhat pear-shaped; 

 -color orange rufous (IV, lo) to ferruginous (IV, 10)__ Chedakh (p. 92). 



White fibrous lining to the central cavity well developed, flesh at least 3 mm. 

 thick, skin where loose ochraceous (V, 7) to russet (III, 16), rarely 

 orange (VI. 3). 



Flesh soft and sirupy. !, mm. thick: fruit keeping its shape only fairly well 

 when ripe, .'i2.o to 47.5 m)n. long, slightly narrowed at both ends, reddish 

 orange before maturity, between dark maroon (IV. 2) and prune purple 

 (VIII, 1) with a conspicuous ])lo()m when ripe, its surface shiny; seed 

 between one-half and three-fifths as long as the fruit, usually slightly 

 less than one-third as wide as long, widest below the middle or about 

 equally wide throughout, the ventral channel oiien : giant cells nearly all 

 lingular, similar to those of the preceding (Chedakh) ; branches of the 

 fruit clusters deep orange Fteemy (p. 09). 



Flesh of firm consistency, fruit keeping its shape well when ripe, broad at base 

 or. if somewhat narroived at base, the fruit only JiO mm. long, then the 

 flesh only 3 mm. thick and the giant cells all rounded or nearly so. 



Fruit JfO mm. long, generally slightly narrowed at both ends, bright maroon 

 when ripe, with consideral)ie bloom; flesh 3 mm. thick, not very sugary: 

 seed smooth. 25 mm. long, about two-fifths as wide, widest above the 

 middle, the ventral channel open, the germ pore above the middle; giant 

 cells very uniform in size and shape, all rounded, spherical or nearly so, 

 orange ("vi, 3) in color Khalt Hameed (p. 89). 



Fridt JfO to 60 mm. long, broad at hase, flesh 4 to 6 mm. thick, very sugary; seed 

 •rough. 



Fruit .',7.5 to ■>') mm. long, oblong or oblong ovate, broad and rounded at base 

 and ai»ex. keeping its shape well when ripe, dull orange yellow l)efore 

 maturity, between maroon (IV. 2) and chestnut (IV, 9) or between 

 chestnut and hazel (IV. 12) colored with a purplish l)loom when ripe; 

 flesh 4 to 6 mm. thick, the white fibrous lining to the central cavity well- 

 developed : seed 23 to 25 mm. long, two-fifths to one-half as wide, russet 

 (IIl.lC. ) to chestnut (IV. 9) colored, its surface uniformly roughened 

 with small pits and fine wrinkles, the ventral channel fresiuently closed, 

 the germ pore usually distinct, always above the middle of the .seed; 

 giant cells quite uniform in size and shape, all rounded, mostly spherical 

 but some short-elliptical (14 or nearly 2 times as long as wide), rufous 

 (IV. 7) colored: branches of the fruit clusters lemon yellow. 



Menakher (p. 01). 



Fruit dull orange before maturity, light bay (IV, 5) or light hazel (IV, 12) 

 colored when ripe: seed roughened here and there with irregular ridges 

 and furrows: giant cells very diverse in shape and size, nearly all angu- 

 lar, saffron (VI. 4) to orange (VI, 3) in color; branches of the fruit 

 clusters light orange Areshty o (p. 71). 



"The fruit of this variety is generally at least 4 mm. less than twice as long 

 as wide, and it is therefore de.scriijed more fully under Broad Soft Dates. (See 

 p. 101.) 

 92 



