Trees planted at Mwera Hill in 1939 started to bear in 1943. 

 Apart from its value fresh, the dried fruit is one of the most popular of all 

 dried fruits and commands a high market price. 



Ref. 13. 



*372. P. communis (L.) Fritsch (Syn. P. amygdalus Stokes) Almond. 



Probably Persian in origin; trees were planted at Mwera Hill in 1939. They 

 began to bear in 1941. 



Ref. 13. 



♦373. P. persica (L.) Stokes, Peach. 



Picesi (N). 



Probably a native of China ; many kinds of peach are grown by Europeans in 

 the country at altitudes of about 4,000 ft., particularly by D.R.C. Missionaries. 

 There are several good varieties now established at Mwera Hill Experimental Fruit 

 Station. A small-fruited rather bitter tasting one is very common in many of the 

 hilly parts of the country. It is very hardy and grows either from seed or stake. 

 It bears in 3-4 years and is a good type for native use as it has deep yellow flesh 

 and is likely to be rich in carotenes. Many of the sweeter more juicy kinds which 

 are often preferred by Europeans have pale or white flesh and so are probably almost 

 devoid of carotenes. The hardy bitter kind is used as a stock on which to graft 

 or bud the other varieties. 



The fruits are eaten raw and are very popular. Children invariably begin to 

 eat them when they are hard and green with the result that unless trees are abundant 

 in the villages, the ripe fruit is never seen. 



Ref. 13. 



374. Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia Pax (Euphorb.). 

 Msolo (G). 



A small tree growing to 20-40 ft., young branches pubescent, leaves lanceolate 

 or oblong, slightly narrowed to an obtuse apex up to 2J ins. long and 1^ ins. broad; 

 the unripe fruit is almost round slightly trilobed, 2 cm. diameter, with a few scattered 

 hairs, shining pale yellow, ripens in June. Found in the drier parts of low foothills 

 on soils of light texture. 



The fruits are edible and can be used to dye bark cloth. The roots and bark 

 are mixed with ntebankhuni (an insect which protects itself in the cocoon stage by a 

 case of fine twigs and which is poisonous to cattle) and burnt. The ashes are rubbed 

 into an incision as a cure for tumours, citupsya. The leaves are pounded with the 

 root, bark and leaves of pigeon pea, water is added and the liquid poured into the 

 ear as a cure for earache. An infusion of the roots, mixed with those of kaumbu 

 (Lannea schimperi), kamwamadzi, mbundaculu, and sometimes with flour, is drunk 

 as a cure for diorrhoea or dysentery. Wood used for making charcoal (Tt). 



Ref. 14. 



*375. Psidium guajava L. (Myrtac), Guava. 



Guwawa (N). 



Native of tropical America. Shrub or small tree up to 25 ft., flowers white, 

 fruits with white, yellow or red flesh. Guava trees have been planted at many 

 European centres, such as Bomas and Mission stations, hence there are usually 

 abundant trees in the villages in the vicinity of such centres as the trees grow very 

 readily from seed. Found at all elevations, does particularly well at some Lake- 

 shore stations, e.g., Kota Kota. 



The fruit is well liked eaten raw. It is a good som-ce of vitamin C. 

 Ref. 23; 26. 



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