61 



Sapotaceae. 



sebe 



Milk Apple, (him Chicle Tree. 



A tree, 30 to 40 ft. high, native of the West indies and 

 ^Mexico; cultivated in many warm countries, including Central 

 America, West indies, British Guiana, India, Philippine 

 Islands, Straits Settlements, West Africa, &c. The fruit is 

 edible, described as one of the most delicately flavoured and 

 wholesome fruits grown. It is said to stand transport well, but 

 does not appear to come into the English mai ket — fruits have 

 been found to carry well from Demeraia {K..13. 1888, p. 179). 

 An extract known as ''Chicle (him " or kk Sapodilla Gum 1 * Is 

 obtained from the tree, which is an important article of commerce 

 with America, where it is used in the manufacture of chewing 



gum. 



la. ix. 3 (1915), pp. 400-402. 



Butyrospermum Parkii, Kotschy; Shea Butter, Beurre de 



Karite. 



* 



A tree 30 to 40 ft. high with a trunk 5 to 6 ft. in diam., 

 native of West Africa, principally Nigeria. The kernels yield 

 about 50 per cent, of fat known in commerce as " Shea Butter M 

 as exported from the Niger, and the oil extracted from the 

 kernels in England is known as u Shea Nut Oil." Used by the 

 natives for food and in Europe for the manufacture of substi- 

 tutes for butter in addition to other industrial uses. The total 

 of Shea products exported from Lagos in 1913 was 2069 cental- 



1902 of which came to the United Kingdom, the remainder 

 to countries not specified. The supplies are probably all from 

 wild sources; there is a plantation at Oloke-meji in Nigeria and 

 seeds and plants have been sent out from Kew to various 

 Colonies; but the only definite information of success in growing 

 the tree to maturity in countries outside of Africa comes from 

 Dominica, where a tree sent out from Kew in 1899 was reported 

 (1913) as a healthy plant 40 ft. in height, flowering freely but 

 fruiting sparsely; fruits from this tree have recently (Sept. 1918) 

 been received at Kew. 



I. 1899, "Karite Tree," pp. 53-55. 



la. ix. 3 (1915), pp. 410-415. 



The following have edible fruits: — "Star Apple" (Chryso- 

 phyllum Cainito, Linn.), " Marmalade Plum M (Lucuma mam- 

 mosa, Gaertn.), trees native of the West Indies and South 

 America; and "Miraculous Fruits" (Synsepalum dvleificum, 

 Daniell), of West Africa — the fruits impart a sweet taste to 

 anything bitter, sour or acid in character, used by the natives 

 to sweeten palm-wine (K.B. 1906, p. 171). " Mahwa " (Bassia 

 latifoh'a, Roxb.), and " Mee " or " IUipi " (B. Ion pi folia, Linn.) 

 of India yield an oil from the seeds used for culinary purposes in 

 India, where the flowers of the trees are also eaten. The 

 11 Butter Tree " {B. butyracea, Roxb), of India, yields an oil 

 or fat used for cooking or as an adulterant of "Ghee." ^ The 

 residual cake after the expression of the oil of these Bassias is 



