ch. xv.] The Mangosteen. 311 



of Bengal only to 14° N. Attempts to cultivate it in 

 India have failed, and in Ceylon success is only partial. 

 In the West Indies all attempts to grow it have proved 

 abortive. In Borneo trees are not uncommon in the 

 forests, but the fruits generally are below the average 

 size, the divisions within are fewer — rarely more 

 than four — and each segment of pulp contains a fully 

 developed seed. When cultivated in richly-manured 

 gardens or orchards, however, as in Penang or Singapore, 

 not only are the fruits larger and the carpellary divisions 

 more numerous, but rarely more than one perfect seed is 

 found in each fruit, the remaining segments consisting of 

 edible pulp only. Similar effects may be observed in the 

 case of the rambi and duku, or langsat fruits, and the 

 best of cultivated mangoes are remarkable for their thin 

 and comparatively small stones, while the edible part on 

 the other hand is much augmented. Under cultivation 

 the mangosteen forms a low round or conical-headed tree, 

 its dark leathery evergreen foliage reminding one of that 

 of the Portugal laurel, only that it is of a bolder charac- 

 ter. The waxy-petaled flowers are borne near the 

 extremities of the branches, and are succeeded by round 

 fruits, which when fully ripe are as large as a medium- 

 sized orange. On cutting the leathery dark purple rind 

 transversely about the middle of the fruit, it is found to 

 be of a port-wine colour in section, and encloses from 

 three to six segments of snow-white pulp, cool and re- 

 freshing to the taste, and with a flavour which is some- 

 thing like that of the finest nectarine, but with a dash of 

 strawberry and pine-apple added. It is one of the very 

 few tropical fruits of which even delicate invalids may eat 

 with advantage ; and the dried rind, when infused in 

 boiling-water and drank as tea, forms an astringent which 

 has been proved serviceable in dysentery after all other 



