188 MEDICINAL PLANTS OF JAMAICA. 



beset with spines. When pulled off before maturity, and 

 boiled, it is served at table the same as pompions ; and if 

 roasted or baked, is similar to yams. When ripe it is soft, 

 sweet and detersive : hence good in fevers where the mouth 

 is furred. 



The sweet sop is an agreeable fruit ; but the custard apple 

 is eaten only by a few. 



The alligator apple grows in rivulets. The root is spon- 

 gy, and as light as cork : It makes excellent strops for ra- 

 zors. 



The leaves of all smell strongly like savine, and both they 

 and the fruits are anthelminthic. 



(The sour sop grows as tall as an apple tree. The leaves 

 are shining ; the fruit large, crooked, prickly and pointed ; 

 the blossoms thick and fleshy. The fruit has a green skin ; 

 when ripe, it is soft and white, tastes sweet and slightly acid, 

 and is relished by many people. It has many seeds. In 

 times of scarcity, the apples pulled green, and roasted or 

 boiled, are used as an article of food. The wild sour sop 

 tree grows to a good size, and differs very little from this in 

 leaves, flowers, or fruit. Sour sop leaves are used in decoc- 

 tions to kill worms. The smell is similar to that of the sa- 

 vine. 



The sweet sop tree seldom exceeds fifteen feet in height, 

 and is well shaded with leaves. On the ends of the branches 

 <rrow small fleshy blossoms, which cannot be well laid down 

 in a collection of specimens. The fruit is round, and of an 

 unequal surface. It has a sweet subacid taste, and contains 

 a great many seeds, of the size of kidney beans. 



The leaves of the custard apple are larger than those of 

 the sour sop ; the blossom of the same figure, but smaller ; 

 the fruit is round. When ripe it is yellow and soft like cus- 

 tard. Some are fond of it, but I am not singular when I 

 pronounce it the worst of our fruits.) 



