PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR THEIR FRUITS. 17o 



fadyen* says it abounds in the Port E,05'al Mountains, 

 Jamaica ; but he adds that it came originally from Peru, 

 and must have been introduced long ago, whence it 

 appears that the species is cultivated in the higher 

 plantations, rather than wild. Sloane does not mention 

 it. Humboldt and Bonpland saw it cultivated in 

 Venezuela and New Granada ; Martins in Brazil,^ where 

 the seeds had been introduced from Peru. The species 

 is cultivated in the Cape Verde Islands, and on the 

 coast of Guinea,^ but it does not appear to have been 

 introduced into Asia. Its American origin is evident. 

 I might even go further, and assert that it is a native of 

 Peru, rather than of New Granada or Mexico. It will 

 probably be found wild in one of these countries. Meyen 

 has not brought it from Peru."^ 



My doubts are now lessened, thanks to a kind com- 

 munication from M. Ed. Andre. I may mention first, 

 that I have seen specimens from Mexico gathered by 

 Botteri and Bourgeau, and that authors often speak of 

 finding the species in this region, in the West Indies, in 

 Central America, and New Granada. It is true, they do 

 not say that it is wild. On the contrary, they remark 

 that it is cultivated, or that it has escaped from gardens 

 and become natui'alized.^ Grisebach asserts that it is 

 wild from Peru to Mexico, but he gives no proof. Andre 

 gathered, in a valley in the south-west of Ecuador, 

 specimens which certainly belong to the species as far 

 as it can be asserted without seeing the fruit. He says 

 nothing as to its wild nature, but the care with which 

 he points out in other cases plants cultivated or perhaps 

 escaped from cultivation, leads me to think that he 

 regards these specimens as wild. Claude Gay says that 

 the species has been cultivated in Chili from time im- 

 memorial.^ However, Molina, who mentions several fiu:t- 



' Maofaclyen, Fl. Jam., p. 10. * Martius, Fl. Bras., fasc. iii. p. 15. 

 ' Hooker, Fl. Nigr., p. 205. * Nov. Act. Nat. Cur., xix. suppl. 1. 



* Richard, Plant. Vase, de Cuha; Grisebach, F?. Brit. W. Ind. Is.; 

 Hemsley, Biologia Centr. Am., p. 118 ; Kunth, in Hiiniboldt and Bon- 

 filand, Nova Gen., v. p. 57 ; Triaua and Plancbon, Prodr. Fl. Novo. 

 ilranat., p. 28. 



Giy, Flora ChiL, i. p. 66. 



