240 MENISPERMACE^. [part ii. 



species retained in that genus are stove plants, 

 natives of the West Indies, with yellowish 

 brown or dark purple flowers, the calyx of 

 which is in three sepals, and the corolla in three 

 or six thick fleshy petals, and which have nume- 

 rous stamens with large angular anthers, and 

 very short filaments. The carpels are numerous, 

 but they grow altogether into a fleshy eatable 

 fruit, divided into many cells, each containing 

 one seed. This fruit is called the custard apple 

 or sour sop in the West Indies ; and it difffers 

 in flavour in the different species, but the most 

 delicious kind is produced by A. Cherimolia, a 

 native of Peru. The hardy species included in 

 Anona by Linnaeus have been separated from 

 that genus, and formed into another under the 

 name of Asimina^ the principal distinction be- 

 tween them being in the fruit ; which in the 

 genus Asimina consists of two or three berry-like 

 carpels growing together, not eatable, and each 

 containing many seeds. A. triloba^ the hardiest 

 species, is a large shrub, with dark brownish purple 

 flowers. The plants in this order are all aromatic. 



ORDER V.—MENISPERMACEtE.— THE COCCULUS 

 TRIBE. 



All the plants contained in this order are 

 climbling exotic shrubs, generally with drooping 

 racemes of small delicate flowers, the male and 



