IN THE VALLEY OF CARACAS. 273 
There are further cultivated in the vallev of Caracas — ' Cidra,' Citrus 
medica, L.) 3 c Liraon agrio' (C. Limonum, Kisso), c Limon dulce* [C. Li- 
metta, Eisso), with the two varieties 'Lima* and 'Liniaza,' 'Toronja/ 
(the Catalonian form of the word 'naranja'), most probably a hybrid 
form from C. Decumana and 0. Bergamia, and * Martinica,' nearly re- 
lated to C. Decumana, Willd. Triphasia trifoliata, DC. ('Limoncillo'), 
is uncommon. Citrus spinosissima, Mey., is used for making fences 
(neighbourhood of Turmero, valleys de Aragua). This species is con- 
sidered by Humboldt as of American origin (Ess. Pol. Cuba, Span, 
transl. p. 56, and Ess. Pol. Nouv. Esp. iii. 147, ed. 1811), but this is 
not yet fully proved. No other species of Citrus is American, and, as 
far as I know, no indigenous species is mentioned by the earlier writers 
on the plants of the New World. Another Aurantiacea, Murraya ex- 
otica } L. (' Azahar de las Indias'), is very common in gardens as an 
ornamental plant. 
Mammea Americana, L. ' Mamey.' — This handsome tree does not 
grow well in the valley of Caracas ; it wants a higher temperature. In 
the Tierra Caliente, the fruit reaches sometimes 5 to 6 inches in dia- 
meter. The name is of Haytian origin. 
Vith vinifera, L. « Uva de Parra.'— The Grape-vine can be culti- 
vated, and produces in some years most excellent grapes. But as a 
general rule, we are not in a wine-land ; the heavy rains, which just 
begin when the plant is in flower, make the result very problematical. 
The grape-vine disease is now very common. ' 
Anacardium occidental, L. * Mercy' in Caracas, ' Tauji' in Porto- 
rico, « Maranon' in Cuba, Panama, New Granada,* and Ecuador. 
These different names, as well as the English Cashew (from 'Acaju'), 
seem to prove that Brazil, probably the Valley of the Amazons, is the 
true native country of the tree. No mention is made of the Jnacar- 
tim in any of the Spanish authors on the American Conquest, and in 
Ha* case the negative proof is rather important, as it would be impos- 
sible to overlook so remarkable a tree, especially when in fruit. Cau- 
"n's statement, " Se cria silvestre en muchas partes de estas provincias 
<k Cumana, Guayana e' isla de Trinidad" (Hist. d. 1. Nueva Andal. 
P- 22), embraces probably too much. 
Di 
•az (Hist 
f pains, and adds:-" Bates fuerou los priraeros naranjos que HI plantar on en 
"» Nueva Ksimiin » Tl«w *aa in 1528. 
a Espana." This was in 1528. 
