110 



PRACTICAL FORESTRr. 



ASiMTXA. — Papaio, Custard Apple. 



Small trees or shrubs, with deciduous leaves. Fruit large, in 

 clusters, pulpy, containing several large flattish seeds. The 

 Papaw is an edible fruit, and those who become accustomed 

 to its use consider it excellent and well worth cultivating. The 

 species are : 



Asimina triloba. — Leaves oblong-ovate, pointed, covered with 

 a rusty pubescence, and the young branches are slightly covered 

 with the same, but become smooth with age. The leaves are 



quite large, sometimes 

 nearly a foot long, and 

 haK as wide on young 

 vigorous specimens. 

 Flowers are of a pecu- 

 liar form, as shown in 

 fig. 27. The outer 

 petals round cvate, 

 greenish - yellow at 

 first, but changing to 

 dark purple. Fruit 

 banana-shaped or ob- 

 long, three to four 

 inches long, consist- 

 ing of a sweetish 

 pulp, containing sev- 

 eral large flattish bony 

 seeds. A very hand- 

 some small tree, some- 

 times tliirty or more 

 feet in bight. Wood 

 rather light and spongy ; not valuable. The fruit might be 

 greatly improved by cultivation, and new varieties produced as 

 with other similar native fruits. Found sparingly in Western 

 New York, more abimdaut westward to Iowa and southward 

 to Florida. Eeadily propagated from seed or suckers, which 

 usually spring up more or less abundantly from the roots. 



A. parviflora. — Small-flowered Papaw. — A small shrub South, 

 in dry soils. Leaves smaller and thicker than the last, and 

 flower only a lialf inch broad. Fruit small, oblong, or pear- 

 shaped. 



A. grandlflora. — Large-flowered Papaw. — Also a small shrub. 



Fig. 27. — FLOWEES OF PAPAW. 



