POMEGRANATE 



PONCIRUS 



2751 



root is a well-known astringent employed in therapeu- 

 tics, in dysentery and diarrhea; the rind of the fruit, 

 when boiled, has for many generations past been the 

 remedy for tenia, and a jet-black smooth writing ink 

 is also made of it. 



The pomegranate is a native of some parts of Asia, 

 and by some botanical authors is said to be found also 

 in northern Africa and China. Although of such ancient 

 origin and cultivation, there are but few varieties of 

 the fruit-bearing section disseminated in this country 

 and Europe, but, according to Firminger, several fine 

 varieties have been grown in Bengal from seed brought 

 from Cabul, one being seedless, another growing to the 

 size of "an ordinary human head" and still another as 

 large as a small shaddock. 



Varieties grown for fruit. 



Acid, or Wild. With a sharp acid pulp: fruit often 

 very large, from 3 to 4 inches diameter and with a 

 bright-colored rind. 



Dwarf. A form of the Acid variety, of very low and 

 bushy growth: flowers single: fruit from 13^-2 inches 

 diameter; pulp very acid. This can be grown in a pot, 

 as it fruits very abundantly. 



Paper Shell. Yen,- large, juicy, very sweet, and of 

 excellent quality: skin thin, pale {yellow with crimson 

 cheek; sides crimson: fine grower: good bearer and ships 

 well. 



Rhoda. Fruit crimson, of large size; skin thin but 

 tough; crisp, sweet, and of exquisite flavor. 



Spanish Ruby, or Purple-seeded. As cultivated in 

 Louisiana, seems to be only a form of the Subacid. 

 Fruit large and bright-colored with deep crimson pulp. 

 It is considered the best of its class. 



Subacid. Differs only from the Sweet in the more 

 acidulated pulp. 



Sweet. Fruit usually somewhat smaller than the 

 Acid and with a darker-colored rind; pulp sweet. 



Wonderful. This is said to be the largest of all 

 pomegranates: fruit sometimes 5 inches diameter, 

 bright crimson; pulp highly colored; very juicy; fine 

 flavor: ripens early: good shipper. 



All these varieties are very ornamental from their 

 abundant yield of bright scarlet flowers, which are pro- 

 duced upon the extremities of the young branches of 

 the same year's growth. When the plant is grown in a 

 tree form, the branches should be annually cut back 

 after the leaves drop. 



Varieties grown for ornament (non-fruiting). 



Double Dwarf, or Punica nana racemosa. Of dwarf 

 growth, with bright scarlet double flowers, which are 

 borne in clusters. This is especially desirable for grow- 

 ing in pots, as its flowers are abundant and lasting. 



Double Red. With a very large calyx, from which 

 protrude numerous large bright scarlet petals, larger 

 than those of the common single type. These are pro- 

 duced in abundance during summer and fall and 

 resemble a bright scarlet pompon. 



Double Variegated, or Legrellei. A very handsome 

 variety with very large flowers, the petals being striped 

 and mottled with yellow and scarlet. Double red 

 blooms will frequently be found on the same stem with 

 variegated blooms. As this is a sport of the Double 

 Red it frequently reverts. 



Double Yellow. Similar to the above in shape of 

 flower, but latter are of a pale yellow color. 



Double White. Form of flower is similar to Double 

 Red, but color is pure white. L. A. BERCKMANS.! 



POMELO (contraction of pomplemoosef). A. name 

 sometimes used in the East Indies for pummelo and in 

 the United States for the grapefruit. Inasmuch as there 

 are very many different varieties of Citrus grandis, it 

 seems best to retain pummelo in its common East 

 Indian sense as a generic term for all of them and to 



apply to the special form grown in the West Indies and 

 the United States its old name grapefruit. The use of 

 pomelo (a mere variant of pummelo) for the grape- 

 fruit is likely to lead to confusion, especially as growers, 

 shippers, dealers, and consumers all continue to use 

 the name grapefruit. See Pummelo. 



WALTER T. SWINGLE. 



POMOLOGY: Fruit-growing, page 1290. 



POMPLEMOOSE (Dutch, pomplemoes, perhaps 

 from Dutch pompoen, pumpkin, and old Javanese, 

 limoes, a citrous fruit). A name sometimes used in 

 East India instead of the more common pummelo for 

 forms of Citrus grandis. 



PONCIRUS (French, poncire, a kind of citron). 

 Rutacex, tribe Citreae. Small spiny deciduous tree 

 native to North China, extensively used as a stock for 

 oranges, also grown for hedges and often for ornament in 

 regions too cold to permit of the culture of citrous fruits. 



This plant has been usually referred to Citrus, 

 although DeCandolle, Rafinesque, Miquel, Penzig, 

 Hance, Makino, and other botanists referred it to other 

 genera. It differs from Citrus in having deciduous 

 trifoliolate Ivs. : fl.-buds formed in early summer and 

 passing the winter protected by bud-scales: fls. borne 

 on old wood in early spring and nearly sessile, with 

 petals opening flat and narrowed to a claw-like basej 



3123. Poncinis 

 trifoliata. (X}i) 



stamens entirely free; ovary 6-8- (usually 7-) celled: fr. 

 densely and finely pubescent, the pulp vesicles con- 

 taining oily matter in drops and having hair-like 

 appendages which secrete a viscous fluid, the ovary 

 wall showing orange-colored cellular eruptions between 

 the bases of the pulp vesicles; pith with transverse 

 plates of thick-walled cells; stomata of the green twigs 

 situated at the bottom of deep narrow pits; and seed- 

 lings with spirally arranged cataphylls, the lowest 

 bract-like, the uppermost gradually merging into foli- 

 age-lvs. In view of these numerous differences, all of 

 them of taxonomic importance, there can be no doubt 

 of the validity of the genus Poncirus. 



trifoliata, Raf . (Citrus trifoliata, Linn. Citrus fusca, 

 Lour. Pseudxgle sepiaria, Miq. Pseud&gle trifoliata, 



