BY N. DE MIKLOUHO-MACLAY. 357 



" Dim" Bassia Madaycma. (F. v. Mueller). This has been 

 designated in honor of the tinder. A globular five-celled fruit of large 

 size (measuring about five inches in diameter), which presents all 

 the carpologic characteristics of the genus Bassia among Sapotese ; 

 the pulijj portion is copious and adheres firmly to the endocarpal 

 plates; the seeds measure about 1| inch in length and fully one 

 in width ; the testa is very thick, of long firmness and outside 

 shiningly brown-black ; the hilum is remarkably broad. When 

 the flowers shall have been obtained, we will be able to judge, 

 whether the tree yielding this very conspicuous fruit is perhaps to 

 be counted with the species of the genus Lucuma, as now defined, 

 no generic fruit-difTerences existing between Lucuma and Bassia ; 

 but the latter should change its name for Illi^jpe, as already 1771 

 given by Koenig (Linne, mantissa altei'a 563) inasmuch as Allioni 

 five years earlier fully established a genus Bassia among Salsolacefe. 



" A^ate." Bassia Cocco (Schefier in Annales du jardin botanique 

 de Buitenzorg, L 34.) The fruit is irregularly traversed by several 

 longitudinal furrows. Dr. Scheff'er (in 1876) also saw fruits only ; 

 hence the generic position of this tree remains still somewhat 

 unsettled. 



" Gutur." Canarium, the species from the mere fruits unde- 

 finable. " A tree exuding a resin not unlike Damar." Only 

 unripe fruits seen, which in that state are prominently triangular, 

 hardly half as broad as long and somewhat pointed ; the fniit- 

 calyx spreads horizontally, and is only short-lobed. The seeds are 

 eatable, (1) and are probably of the same almond-like taste as those 

 of Canarium commune. Concerning the latter already Gaertner 

 (de fructibus II., 99) observed, that even in very old fruits the 

 seeds do not become rancid, although they are so very oily. He 

 also noticed (as far back as 1791), that fruits of Canarium not 

 rarely ripen three seeds, as remarked also recently by Engler (De 

 Candolle, monogr. phanerog. IV., 101). Since now already more 



(1) I am not sure if the seeds are eaten or not. M.M. 



