1056 



A prickly palm, about 20 feet high, with a brown wool- 

 ly trunk up to 1| feet thick, and terminal leaves 

 from 6 to 8 feet in length. The sheathing bases of 

 the leaves are armed with long, black spines, and the 

 spathe is very spiny. The yellow flowers are very 

 odorous, and the round fruits are about an inch in 

 diameter. This palm is found in the cooler regions 

 of Mexico up to 3000 feet above the sea, and is said 

 to be hardy at Santa Barbara, California. (Adapted 

 from Mueller, Select Extra-Tropical Plants, p. 19, 

 from Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, p. 

 211, and from Martius, Historia Naturalis Palmarum, 

 pp. 285, 286 and plate 138.) 



Alibertia edulis A. Richard. (Rubiaceae.) 43413. 

 Seeds from Tierras de Loba, Bolivar, Colombia. Col- 

 lected by Mr. H. M. Curran. A tropical and extra- 

 tropical shrub found in Central and northern South 

 America, with white flowers and yellow fruit, which 

 is about the size of a small lemon, and is called 

 Marmeladinha. The entire plant is called Puruhy, both of 

 these being Brazilian names. The fruit is edible and 

 very agreeable in taste. (Adapted from von Mueller, 

 Selected Extra-Tropical Plants, from Pittier, Plantas 

 Usuales de Costa Rica, p. 110, and from Correa, Flora 

 do Brazil, p. 112. ) 



Annona purpurea Moc. & Sesse. (Annonaceae . ) 43426. 

 Fruit of Soncoya from Escuintla, Guatemala. Seed col- 

 lected by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, Agricultural Explorer. 

 "The suncuya or soncuya, sometimes called chincuya, a re- 

 markable species of Annona which appears to be fairly 

 common in the foothills of the western slopes of 

 Guatemala. Fruits and trees were seen from Escuintla 

 to Ayutla, on the Mexican frontier, the elevation 

 varying from 200 to 1200 feet. The soncuya is an im- 

 mense fruit, often larger than a child's head, and 

 covered with short conical protuberances. It is al- 

 most perfectly spherical in form, measures about six 

 inches in length, and weighs three pounds or more. In 

 color it is a light russet brown, sometimes greenish, 

 and the protuberances are about inch long, sharply 

 pointed, and corky in character. The rind also is 

 corky, about ^ .inch thick, rather pliable, granular 

 and easily broken. The flesh within is pale orange, 

 cottony in texture, rather juicy and with an aroma 

 and flavor almost identical with that of the North 

 American pawpaw (Asimina triloba) . The seeds are very 



