DATE VARIETIES 248 



Hamraya, Hamraia, The Red, one of the 

 commonest names for a date variety among Arabs, 

 and several have been introduced to California 

 under that designation. Hamraya of the ZIban, 

 Algeria, is an attractive soft or dry date, fairly late 

 in bearing but yields well. The natives have the 

 idea that the stored dates are particularly likely 

 to be attacked by worms, and that the tree is more 

 subject than any other to the ravages of the Parlatoria 

 scale, {Parlatoria blanchardi). The fruit may be 

 described as follows: 



One and five-eighths inch long, three-fourths 

 inch wide; usually broadest about middle, tapering 

 very little to broadly rounded or flattened apex and 

 flattened or depressed base. Color dark purplish 

 maroon overspread by a faint bluish-gray bloom; 

 but when well dried the thick, tough skin separates 

 from the flesh and becomes fawn colored, or dark 

 Isabella brown. Calyx persistent and dates remain 

 attached to cluster indefinitely. When fresh and 

 soft (rutab) the dates are a beautiful, bright red. 

 Flesh one-eighth inch thick, deep golden brown, 

 firm but not dry or hard. Seed one inch long, one- 

 fourth wide, uniform throughout, of hazel color, 

 base rounded, apex broadly pointed, ventral channel 

 broad and partly closed, germ pore in center. Flavor 

 pronounced, moderately sweet, not cloying. 



The Tunisian Hamraya is a dry date, which has 



not given particularly good results in Arizona. 



Kearney describes it under the name of Hamra, 



as follows: 



*He correctly points out that this is the proi>er name of the 

 date, while the name Hamraya designates rather the palm which 

 be&rs a Hamra date. In practice, the distinction is very rarely 

 made among Arabs, however. Hamra is the feminine form of the 



