314! ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



and cultivated throngliout tropical America;" anclHemsley,^ 

 in his review of the plants of Mexico and Central America, 

 made in 1879 from the rich materials of the Kewherbarium, 

 gives no locality where the species is indigenous. It was 

 perhaps introduced into Central America and into the 

 warm regions of Mexico by the Indians before the dis- 

 covery of America. Cultivation may have naturalized it 

 here and there, as is said to be the case in Jamaica.^ In 

 support of this hypothesis, it must be observed that 

 Triana^ indicates the cacao as only cultivated in the 

 warm regions of New Granada, a country situated be- 

 tween Panama and the Orinoco valley. 



However this may be, the species was grown in 

 Central America and Yucatan at the time of the dis- 

 covery of America. The seeds were sent into the high- 

 lands of Mexico, and were even used as money, so highly 

 were they valued. The custom of drinking chocolate 

 was general. The name of this excellent drink is Mexi- 

 can. The Spaniards carried the cacao from Acapulco to 

 the Philippine Isles in lG74and 1680,^ where it succeeded 

 wonderfully. It is also cultivated in the Sunda Isles. I 

 imagine it would succeed on the Guinea and Zanzibar 

 coasts, but it is of no use to attempt to grow it in 

 countries which are not very hot and very damp. 



Another species, Theohroma hicolor, Humboldt and 

 Bonpland, is found growing with the common cacao in 

 American plantations. It is not so much prized. On 

 the other hand, it does not require so high a temperature, 

 and can live at an altitude of nearly three thousand feet 

 in the valley of the Magdalena. It abounds in a wild 

 state in New Granada.^ Bernoulli asserts that it is only 

 cultivated in Guatemala, though the inhabitants call it 

 mountain cacao. 



Litchi — XejyJielium Litchi, Cambessides. 



The seed of this species and of the two following is 



* Hemsley, Biologia Centrali Americana, part ii. p. 133. 

 ^ Grisebach, ^lbi supra. 



' Triana and Planchon, Prodr. Fl. Koro Granatensis, p. 208. 



* Blanco, Fl. de Filipinas, edit. 2, p. 420. 



* Kunth, in Humboldt aud Bonpland, uhi supra ; Triana, vbi tsvpra. 



