DATE VARIETIES 277 



The date is one and seven-sixteenths inch 

 long, fifteen-sixteenths inch wide, broadest near 

 base and tapering very slightly to blunt apex. Color 

 reddish brown. Skin tender and color of cafe au lait 

 when it blisters. Has a tendency to stickiness, but 

 this can probably be obviated by proper handling, as 

 the flesh has an excellent caramel consistency, and 

 is one-quarter inch thick. Seed small, three-quarters 

 inch long, one-quarter inch wide, tight in cavity; 

 some fibre, but soft and not noticeable in eating. 

 Flavor mild. 



Rashidi, see Samani. 



Rhars, see Ghars. 



RIshti, Arishti, Arechti, Archeti, The Feathery. 

 With the definite article in Arabic it is Al Rishti, 

 pronounced Ar Rishti, whence the incorrect spelling 

 which has become current. A large and attractive 

 date from Algeria and Tunisia, noted for its heavy 

 yield. Soft but firm, admirable for keeping and 

 shipping; eaten at all stages. It is the favorite date 

 of Algerian Jews. Some natives consider it best 

 just before it is fully soft, others declare it not worth 

 eating until it has been stored for four to six months. 

 It ripens rather late, about the middle of October, 

 and frequently bears from 200 to 250 pounds of fruit. 

 It has given good results in the United States, but 

 its offshoots have proved delicate and difficult to 

 root. 



The palm has a stout trunk but particularly 

 graceful foliage, as its name indicates. The leaves are 

 green, soft, and drooping, leaflets long, narrow, and 



