150 MISCELLANEOUS COOL PLANTS. 



shape of a lemon." They say that it was much cultivated 

 in Peru, and added that it was propagated by means of 

 cuttings. It was called " Pepino de la tierra." In 1785, 

 Thouin, a noted French gardener, introduced it into 

 Europe, and four years later Aiton, of the Royal Garden 

 at Kew, England, named it Solatium muricatum* The 

 specific name, muricate or prickly, was given in reference 

 to the rough or warty character of the sprouts which 

 spring from the root, and which are often used for propa- 

 gation. And now, over a hundred years later, it has 

 found its way to us. 



Mr. Eisen's account of the pepino will be interesting 

 in this connection. "The Central American name of this 

 plant," he writes, "is pepino. Under this name it is 

 known everywhere in the Central American highlands, 

 and under this name only. But as pepino in Spanish 

 also means cucumber, it was thought best to give the 

 plant an English name. I suggested the name melon 

 shrub, but through the error or the wisdom of a printer 

 the name was changed to melon pear, which I confess is 

 not very appropriate, but still no less so than pear 

 guava, alligator pear, rose apple, strawberry guava, 

 mango apple, cust:ird apple, etc. ' * As to the 



value of the fruit and the success of it in the states, only 

 time will tell. The fact that I found the plant growing 

 only on the high land, where the temperature in the shade 

 seldom reaches 75 Fahr., suggested to me the proba- 

 bility that it would fruit in a more northern latitude. In 

 California it has proved a success in the cooler parts, 

 such as in Los Angeles city, and in several places in the 

 coast range, and will undoubtedly fruit in many other 

 localities where it is not too hot. * * * My friend, 

 the late Mr. J. Grelck, of Los Angeles, had a plantation 

 of 10,000 pepinos, which grew and bore well, and he sold 

 considerable fruit. * * * In pulp and skin the pepino 



Hort. Kew. i. 250. 



