12 The Custard Apple in Queensland. 



its peculiarity was first pointed out to me by Mr. Walter Hill. He r 

 however, never ventured to define its species to me. I am, however r 

 inclined to the opinion that the plant was a seed variation of A. reticulata r 

 as the structure of the foliage inclined to that species. 



At various times during my term of connection with the Acclimatisa- 

 tion Society importations of seed of Anona were made, the following 

 having all been imported : Anona sylvatica, a native of Brazil, known 

 there as Araticu do mato. Several plants were raised, but I have no- 

 record of any having reached the fruiting stage. Another importation 

 was seen of A. laurifolia, which turned out to be Eiipomatia laurina, a 

 closely related species of the same genus. A. sericea and A. furfuracea 

 were also introduced ; and, although plants were raised and distributed of 

 these Anonas, no records are available as to their growth. The late Mr, 

 L. G. Corrie had plants of these placed on Garden Island, in Moreton* 

 Bay, they being planted by n\yself, I think, in 1892. Another Anona 

 introduced was A. montana. This was sent from the gardens at Hack- 

 galla, Ceylon, by Mr. Nock, the director. Out of the few seed sent about 

 a dozen plants were raised. Mr. Corrie received three ; two were planted 

 on Garden Island; and another at South Park, Eedland. One was- 

 planted at Bowen Park, which fruited about the middle nineties, but was- 

 regarded as possessing no merits to warrant its preservation. Like A. 

 palustris, A. montana proved to be a very soft-wooded species that could' 

 not prosper and withstand the low temperatures of our Southern 

 Queensland winters. These foregoing remarks, I venture to think, cover 

 the history of Anonas as regards their association with Queensland. 

 Although it must be borne in mind that thousands of seedlings have been 

 distributed to many parts of the State, especially along the coastal lands r 

 quite a number were also sent to Thursday Island and New Guinea. The 

 late Hon. John Douglas, who was keenly interested in all plants of 

 economic value, had several lots of Anonas sent him by the writer, as also- 

 had the Rev. Bishop Verges, who controlled the Mission of the Sacred 

 Heart (R.C.) in the Papuan Gulf and New Guinea. To follow up the- 

 subsequent history of all these plants is beyond the scope of my efforts, 

 but, no doubt, there are many Anonas growing in Queensland between 

 Point Danger in the South and Cape Somerset in the North, and even in 

 New Guinea, as the result of the distributions alluded to. Under normal 

 and natural conditions all the species of Anonas might reasonably be 

 expected to reproduce themselves from seed, true to type; but under 

 agglomerative conditions, with diversified environment of climate, soil, 

 and situation, and a distinctly different class of pollen-distributing 

 insects, we may safely come to the conclusion that partial cross-pollenation 

 must ensue, and seed variations will be manifest. We have not far to look 

 for a marked example in the mango, as from Ma-ngifera indica, M. fwtida, 

 and M . sylvatica, introduced about sixty-five years ago, we possess to-day 

 thousands of seed variations, which are annually being added to. 



. 1018. WILLIAM SOUTTER, 



