5 



(Rubiaceae), and known botaiiically as GenipaAmerica.ua. It attains a 

 height of about thirty feet, has handsome foliage, and bears pale yellow 

 flowers. The frnit, which is about the size of an ordinary Orange, has a 

 thick rind or shell, containing a brown pulpy flesh which has a flavour 

 somewhat similar to Orange marmalade. It is a popular fruit in Guiana, 

 where it is commonly called Marmalade Box. This tree can only be 

 grown successfully in the tropical regions of Australia, but where the 

 climatic conditions are favourable it is worthy of attention both for its 

 fruit and as an ornamental plant. It requires a deep, rich, and moderately 

 moist soil, and must be sheltered from strong winds. Propagation is 

 readily effected by layers, which should be put down early in the autumn 

 or spring. Cuttings of the ripened wood of the current season's growth 

 root freely in sand under a glass. 



GINGERBREAD PALM. 



This plant, which is also known as the Doum Palm is indigenous to 

 Egypt, Arabia,, Nubia, and Abyssinia, and its fruit is used as food by the 

 inhabitants of those countries It attains a height of about thirty feet, 

 and is known botanically as Hyplwene crinita (Thebaicd). After a few 

 years growth branches are formed, each one being surmounted with 1 a 

 crown of fan-shaped leaves. The fruit is produced in large pendulous 

 bunches of from one to two hundred. Each fruit is the size of a small 

 Apple, the outer portion being a fibrous sweetish pulp, having a flavour 

 somewhat similar to Gingerbread, hence the common name. Several 

 other species of Hyphrene yield edible fruits, and might prove worthy 

 of cultivation in congenial regions. The Gingerbread Palm and kindred 

 species can only be cultivated successfully in the warmer parts of Australia, 

 It can stand heat and drought well, and would probably prove a useful 

 fruit for the dry interior districts of the northern colonies This Palm is 

 also well worth cultivating for ornament in warm dry regions, and makes 

 a good avenue plant. As regards cultivation and propagation, the methods 

 are precisely the same as those recommended for the Date Palm. 



GINGERBREAD PLUM. 



The fruit known under this name is produced by Parinarium macro- 

 phyllum, a handsome evergreen small tree indigenous to tropical West 

 Africa, belonging to the Chrysobalaneae section of the order Rosaceae. 

 The tree has fine large foliage, odorous white flowers, and Plum-like 

 fruit having a pleasant flavour somewhat like Gingerbread, hence the 

 name. Parinarium excelsnm, also a West African species, is a large 

 evergreen tree attaining a height of about sixty feet, with long leaves and 

 large terminal branches of scented white flowers. The fruit is produced 

 in great abundance, and is about the size of an Orleans Pluan, but it'ia 

 dry and insipid in flavour as compared with the Gingerbread Plum. It 



