psiDiUM. 465 



singly, or a few together on axillary stalks, and producing fleshy 

 berries crowned with the remains of the calyx-tubes, and 

 containing numerous small, hard, kidney (or horse-shoe) shaped 

 seeds nestling in pulp. The flowers have an egg-shaped calyx, 

 with the lower part cohering with the ovary and the upper free 

 part entire and closed in the bud, and at length coming off entire, 

 or bursting into five, or rarely four lobes ; four or five free petals ; 

 numerous stamens ; and a two- or more-celled ovary, with many 

 ovules in each cell. The flowers of nearly all the species are 

 deliciously scented. The common name " Guava " is a corruption 

 of the South American name Guayaba. About 45 species have 

 been named, but they may not all truly belong to the genus. 

 Some of the best known species may be briefly summarised as 

 follows : — 



P. Guyava, Linn. ; Benth. FL, Hongk., p. 120 ; Brandis For. Fl., p. 

 232; Grisebach, Flor. Brit. West Ind., p. 241; Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng., xlvi., pt. ii., p. 62. This species is indigenous to Mexico, 

 and is now naturalised in most tropical countries and throughout 

 India, where it is cultivated almost everywhere, except in the 

 north-western corner of the Punjab. The species of P. guyava 

 mostly grown in India are the var. pyriferttvi and var. pomiferum, 

 Koxb., Fl. Ind., ii., p. 480. The former is 10 to 20 feet in height, 

 a native of the Caribbee Islands and the continent of America, 

 near Cumana. Bot. Eeg., t. 1079 ; Euiz et Pavon, Flora Peruviana, 

 iv., t. 418 ; Eumph. Amb., i., t. 47 ; Trew, Plants selecta; ab ehret 

 pictte, t. 43. Syn. Guayava 'pyriformis, Gsertn. Fruct., i., t. 38. 

 The second named variety, V. pomiferum, ^ to 15 feet in height, 

 is a native of the West Indies, Mexico and South America, but is 

 said by Loureiro to grow wild in Cochin-China ; probably two 

 species are confused. Eumph. Amb., i., t. 48 ; Merian, De 

 metamorphosibus Swinamensium, t. 57. Jacquin (Plantarum 

 rariorum horti Caesarei Schoebrunnensis, iii., p. 62, t. 366) figures a 

 variety of P. j^f^'^^ii/ericm, viz., var. yS, sapidisswia (native country 

 unknown). Amongst other species may be cited the following : — 



P. fumilum, Yahl. Symboke botanicae, ii., p. 56 ; Blume, Bijdr. 

 tot. de Flor. Xed. Ind., p. 1093 ; Eumph. Amb., 1, t. 49 ; Syn. 

 P. Angustifolium Lam. Die, iii., p. 16 ; Native of the Moluccas, 

 Ceylon and Java. A variety, /5, Guadaliipense, of this (D.C., Prodr., 

 iii., p. 233) is mentioned as being a native of Guadaloupe, but it is 



GG 



