FRUITS OF THE MYRTLE FAMILY 283 



or yellow Cattley guava, differs from the typical strawberry 

 guava in its sulfur-yellow colbr and more delicate flavor. It is 

 very productive, and so far as is known, comes true when 

 grown from seed. 



OTHER GUAVAS 



Costa Rican guava (Psidium Friedrichsthalianum, Ndz.). 



This is a species from Central America which recently has 

 been introduced into California, Florida, and a few other regions. 

 In the countries where it is native it is found occasionally in 

 gardens, but nowhere is it cultivated extensively. Its fruit 

 is highly acid and is valued for jelly-making. 



The tree is erect, about 25 feet high, with slender trunk and 

 branches. The young branchlets are wiry, quadrangular and 

 reddish in color. The leaves are elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or 

 oval in form, 1J to 3 inches long, acuminate at the apex, almost 

 glossy on the upper surface and puberulent on the lower. The 

 flowers are produced singly on slender peduncles; they are 

 white, fragrant, and about an inch broad. The calyx is closed, 

 but splits into irregular segments when the flower expands. 

 The petals, five in number, are waxy in appearance. The fruit 

 is round or oval in form, and 1 \ to 2i inches long, sulfur-yellow 

 in color, with comparatively few seeds, and soft white flesh of 

 acid flavor with none of the musky aroma which characterizes 

 some of the other guavas. 



In Costa Rica the indigenous name for this fruit is cos. A 

 plant which has been introduced into the United States from 

 the island of Trinidad under the name Psidium laurifolium is 

 evidently P. Friedrichsthalianum. When planted in southern 

 Florida it has grown well, but in southern California it has 

 usually been killed by frost. Plants in Florida have not borne 

 heavy crops, and the species does not seem to possess great 

 promise for that state. 



