284 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



Guisaro (Psidium molle, Bertol.). 



This shrub from southern Mexico and Central America is 

 now cultivated in a few gardens in southern California and 

 southern Florida. The acid fruits, smaller than those of the 

 Costa Rican guava, are used only for jelly-making. 



The plant is of slender habit, and rarely grows more than 10 

 feet high. The young branchlets, peduncles, and lower surfaces 

 of the leaves are reddish-velvety, which makes it easy to dis- 

 tinguish the species from P. Guajava. The leaves are oblong- 

 oval, 3 to 5 inches long, obtuse at the apex, and rather stiff. 

 The flowers, of which three are commonly borne upon each 

 peduncle, resemble those of the common guava (P. Guajava). 

 The fruit is round, about 1 inch in diameter, yellowish green 

 to pale yellow in color, with whitish flesh containing numerous 

 small hard seeds. The flavor is acid with little of the muski- 

 ness which characterizes some other guavas. 



This is the chamach of northern Guatemala, often called 

 guayaba acida in Spanish. In California it has proved to be 

 hardier than P. Guajava and of simple culture. In Florida 

 some plants have not borne good crops while others have been 

 productive. It cannot be considered a valuable species. 



Brazilian guava (Psidium guineense, Sw.). 



While this species is scarcely known horticulturally, so much 

 confusion has existed regarding its identity that it seems 

 desirable to include it here. As was stated on a former page, 

 the guava which has been disseminated in Florida under this 

 name is properly a horticultural form of P. Guajava; the true 

 P. guineense may have been planted in a few Florida gardens, 

 but it is not well known in that state. It is grown in Cuba, 

 although not widely, so far as is known. 



The shrub is of slender habit. The young branchlets are com- 

 pressed-cylindrical and finely hairy. The leaves are oblong- 



