22 



.16-25 inch long), and numerous, massed in large axillary and 

 terminal panicles. The panicles are 12-18 inches long, 18-24 

 inches broad, and wide-spreading; the flowers are arranged in 

 groups of 2-6 along the glaucous branches of the panicle. The 

 panicle stem is pale and glaucous. As a whole the flower clusters 

 are showy and attractive and constitute one of the important 

 ornamental features of the tree. 



The pericels are very short, stout, club-shaped and glaucous. 

 The bracts are small, scarious, and deciduous. The flowers are 

 dioecious. The calyx is glaucous, with 5 short lobes. The corolla 

 has 5 petals which are pale yellow, fleshy, oblong, oval-acute, 4-5 

 times longer than the calyx. The corolla surrounds a hemispheric 

 villous disk. The stamens are 10, as long as the petals, in the 

 staminate flowers. They are free, filiform, each attached to a 

 ciliate scale at its base and bearing an oblong introrse 2-celled 

 longitudinally dehiscent anther attached on the back below the 

 middle. The pistil has a deeply 5-lobed ovary, with 5 recurved 

 styles and 5 solitary ovules. 



The fruit is a sessile drupe, one inch or less in length. It is 

 ovoid or oblong, somewhat oblique and slightly ribbed on one 

 side. The fruits are arranged in groups of 1-5 together ; when 

 partially ripe they are bright scarlet, when fully mature they be- 

 come rich glossy dark purple- The name Paradise Tree refers 

 to these brightly colored fruit clusters, as well as to other orna- 

 mental features. The flesh is thin, bitter, and not edible. The 

 seed is about .75 inch long, crustaceous, papillose, and orange 

 brown. In Jamaica the fruits are called Mountain or Bitter Dam- 

 sons. 



The cultural requirements of the Paradise Tree are simple. A 

 humid atmosphere ; porous, thoroughly watered soil ; and an 

 abundance of well-rotted vegetable manure around the roots of 

 the young plant — these are the main requirements. After the 

 tree has been successfully introduced the seeds will be scattered 

 by the birds, and undoubtedly the species will become naturalized. 

 The Paradise Tree should belong to Hawaii. 



