closely allied to the Central American 4. dubius Mart. 
The exact origins are not certain, but Sauer and some 
other writers, have suggested that the cultivation of 
the grain amaranths may have preceded maize culture. 
There is not yet adequate archaeological evidence on this 
point. (5*, 17, 18, 102*, 132*, 148, 171, 178*) 
Anacardium occidentale L.: Maranon, cashew. 
The cashew is thought by some (192) to occur natu- 
rally in southern Yucatan and may possibly have been 
cultivated there. It has the appearance of being native 
from Brazil to the Antilles, especially as a strand plant. 
(153, 191, 192) 
Ananas comosus (L.) Merril/: Pina, pineapple. 
The pineapple is known to have been cultivated in 
Mexico before European contact (52). Since it is usu- 
ally propagated by vegetative means, it must have been 
easy for the early Americans to select and grow seedless 
forms. The wild species of Ananas are all native to the 
Brazil-Paraguay region, though 4. comosus sometimes 
occurs as an escape from cultivation in many parts of the 
world (15). Though the exact ancestry of the cultivated 
pineapple is not known, it is almost certainly a native of 
South America, probably of the south Brazil-Paraguay 
region. (15*, 52*, 58, 54°*, 149, 186*, 196, 208) 
Species of the related genus Bromelia are sometimes 
planted as hedges (149) and may have been so used in 
pre-Columbian times. These spiny plants produce an 
edible, acid fruit. 
Annona 
The species of this genus are widely cultivated, but 
their histories are quite imperfectly known. The first 
accounts (98) indicate that several kinds were known 
at an early date in Mexico. There is little agreement 
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