THE ANNONACEOUS FRUITS 



189 



The identity of the ilama, first mentioned by Francisco 

 Hernandez toward the end of the sixteenth century, remained 

 in doubt until W. E. Safford showed, in 1911, that it was a 

 species which had not been described botanically. Safford 

 named it Annona diversifolia, and brought together much 

 information concerning its habits and the character of its fruit. 

 These data were published in the Journal of the Washing- 

 ton Academy of Sci- 

 ences, March 4, 1912. 

 More recently the 

 writer has been able 

 to study the species in 

 Mexico and Guate- 

 mala, and the United 

 States Department of 

 Agriculture has distrib- 

 uted several thousand 

 plants in the warmest 

 regions of the United 

 States and in tropical 

 America. 



The tree grows to an 

 ultimate height of 25 



feet. It is slender in FlG . 2 7. The ilama (Annona diversifolia), an 

 habit the trunk not excellent fruit from southern Mexico and Central 

 A . ' America. (X about 3) 



more than 10 inches 



thick, often branching from the ground to form three to six main 

 stems. Some trees are erect, others spreading in habit. The 

 foliage somewhat resembles that of A. squamosa, but the leaves 

 are larger and of distinct form, being broadly elliptic to oblance- 

 olate, rounded at the apex, and 4 to 5^ inches in length. A 

 distinguishing characteristic of this species is the presence of or- 

 bicular leaf-like bracts at the bases of the smaller branchlets. 

 The flowers are maroon-colored, 1 inch long, with the three outer 



