Z67 



fruit was unknown in the Hawaiian Islands previous to 1908, and 

 the present account is the first to emphasize its possibilities in this 

 Territory of the United States. It is cultivated in the Hilo 

 region, Hawaii. The College of Hawaii has nursery plants. 



The Pineapple Guava was introduced into Southern Europe in 

 1890, and is grown in southern France and Italy. From Italy it 

 was introduced into the United States in 1900. It has been wide- 

 ly planted in California; in 1908 the Hawaii Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station received plants from southern California, and these 

 have grown satisfactorily. The tree itself is well adapated for 

 use as an ornamental and as a hedge-plant; the fruit is of unusual 

 horticultural promise. There are now on the market several 

 named varieties, of which Andre, Hehre, and Besson arc the 

 best known. 



The shrub attains a height of 10-15 feet. Very old plants 

 may have a total spread of 18 feet or more, with trunks 8-10 

 inches thick at the base. The branches are rounded and swollen 

 at the nodes. The bark is light gray ; the entire plant, with the 

 exception of the upper surfaces of the leaves and the corollos, is 

 covered with white tomentum. The leaves are opposite, short 

 petioled, thick and coriaceous. They resemble those of the olive, 

 but are much larger. The upper surface is dark glossy green; 

 the lower surface is silver gray, canescent and finely pubescent. 

 The striking contrast in the two surfaces constitutes one of the 

 ornamental features of the plant. The margins are slightly 

 recurved. The veins are inconspicuous on the upper surface of 

 the blade ; below they are fine, prominent, and in arcuate reticu- 

 lations, re-uniting before reaching the margin of the leaf. 



The flower buds are globular, puberulent, and constricted abo\e 

 the ovary. The flowers are showy (1-1.5 inches diameter), red, 

 white and purple, bisexual, and solitary or in clusters. They 

 appear in late spring. The pedicles are 1-flowered at the ends 

 of the branches or becoming lateral. They are at first straight, 

 then recurved, .50-. 75 inch long, whitish and velvety. The calyx 

 tube is turbinate. The sepals are 4, unequal, obtusely elliptical, 

 recurved ; pubescent, and ciliated. The petals are 4, spreading, 

 thick and fleshy, ovate or obovate, entire or emarginate, obtuse, 

 glabrous and ciliated. They are cupped, white on the outside 

 and purplish crimson within. After anthesis they become re- 

 curved. They have a sweet flavor. 



The stamens are numerous, perigynous, erect in a large 

 cluster of many series, about 1 inch long. The filaments arc 

 showy, filiform, deep purple or crimson red- The anthers are 

 globular and yellow. The style is longer than the stamens, fili- 

 form, and with a capitate stigma. The ovary is 4-celled, oblong, 

 turbinate. The flower as a whole is very attractive, with plen- 

 tiful nectar, pollen and aroma; a bush in full blossom is hand- 

 some to a marked degree. 



It has been demonstrated that the flowers of the Pineapple 

 Guava are largely self-sterile, and although isolated plants are 

 not infrequently productive, it is good horticultural practice to 



