THE LITCHI AND ITS RELATIVES 331 



in that island, and is cultivated on a limited scale in other parts 

 of the West Indies, as well as on the mainland of tropical 

 America. In the Orient it is rare. Its native home is in tropi- 

 cal West Africa. 



On deep rich soils the tree becomes 35 or 40 feet in height. 

 It is erect in habit, with an open crown and stiff branches. 

 The leaves are abruptly pinnate, with three to five pairs of 

 short-stalked, obovate-oblong leaflets, the upper ones 4 to 6 

 inches in length, the lowest pair much shorter. The small 

 flowers are borne in short axillary racemes. The sepals and 

 petals are five in number, the latter greenish white in color. 

 The fruit is a curious-looking capsule, about 3 inches long, 

 triangular in general outline, and straw-colored to magenta-red. 

 When ripe it opens along three sutures, exposing three round 

 shining seeds, with a whitish fleshy body at the base of each. 

 The fleshy substance (technically the arillus), resembles in 

 appearance the brain of a small animal. It is firm and oily 

 in texture, and has a somewhat nutty flavor. When fried in 

 butter it is a delicious morsel, and it is excellent boiled with salt 

 fish. It has long been believed that the akee, unless cooked, is 

 poisonous. J. J. Bowrey, 1 analytical chemist to the Govern- 

 ment of Jamaica, found that : 



" Unripe akees if eaten freely bring on vomiting. Decaying akees 

 are decidedly unwholesome, and may even be very poisonous. This is 

 true of many foods. Fresh ripe akees are good and harmless food, 

 rather rich it is true, but to most persons quite wholesome. There 

 may be individual idiosyncrasies with regard to akee, as there are to such 

 usually harmless foods as mutton, duck, pork, mushrooms, etc. The 

 red membrane of the akee, so commonly believed to be poisonous, is 

 perfectly harmless. If the fruit be ripe and fresh, which can be 

 known by its being open, the edible portion firm, and the red part bright 

 in color, it may be considered a good and safe food. But if the fruit 

 be not ripe, or if there are any signs of decay, such as mouldiness or 

 softening of the edible portion, or a dingy color in the ordinary red 

 part, the fruit should not be eaten." 



i Kew Bull. 1892, p. 109. 



