CHAPTER IX 

 FRUITS OF THE MYRTLE FAMILY 



THE myrtaceous fruits comprise an interesting lot of aromatic 

 things, and with blossoms bearing many long and conspicu- 

 ous stamens. The Myrtacese include many of the spices, as 

 clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. The eucalyptus belongs 

 here; also such ornamental plants as myrtus, callistemon, 

 metrosideros, melaleuca. The guava is the most important 

 pomological fruit of the family. Most of the guavas belong 

 to what is usually considered to be a single species, although 

 several Latin names have been applied in the group. 



THE GUAVA (Fig. 35) 

 (Psidium Giwjava, L.) 



The guava, while useful in many ways, is preeminently 

 a fruit for jelly-making and other culinary purposes. To 

 the horticulturist the species is admirable as being one of the 

 least exacting of all tropical fruits in cultural requirements, 

 for it grows and fruits under such unfavorable conditions, 

 and spreads so rapidly by means of its seeds, that it has in truth 

 become a pest in some regions. It is a fruit of commercial 

 importance in many countries, and one whose culture promises 

 to become even more extensive than it is at present, for guava 

 jelly is generally agreed to be facile princeps of its kind, and is 

 certain to find increasing appreciation in the Temperate Zone. 



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