THE SAPOTACEOUS FRUITS 351 



extended into a long point at the apex, is 4 to 5 inches long, and 

 orange-yellow in color. The skin is thin and delicate and the 

 pulp soft and mealy, of the consistency and color of the yolk 

 of a hard-boiled egg. In flavor it resembles the canistel. 

 The seed is slender, nearly 2 inches long, light brown and glossy 

 except on the whitish ventral surface. 



The yellow sapote is most abundant in Mexico, but according 

 to Pittier is found also in Panama and Costa Rica. The 

 common names in Mexico are zapote borracho and zapote 

 amarillo. The species is cultivated in that country from sea- 

 level to elevations of 6000 feet. The fruit, which is eaten fresh, 

 ripens in autumn and winter and is often seen in the markets. 



While tropical in its requirements, the tree can be grown in 

 regions which are subject to cool weather in part of the year. 

 It is doubtful, however, whether it will stand more frost than 

 its congener the canistel. In Mexico it grows on both light and 

 heavy soils and in regions which are moist as well as in those 

 which are comparatively dry. It has been propagated only 

 by seed, but should lend itself to bud-propagation. As is 

 common the fruits of different seedlings vary in form, size, 

 and other characteristics. 



THE LTTCMO 

 (Lucuma obovata, HBK.) 



Pittier has recently called attention to this species, which has 

 been cultivated in Peru since ancient times. It is a tree 25 

 to 35 feet high, with a dense rounded crown. The leaves, 

 which are in bunches at the ends of the branchlets, are elliptic- 

 ovate in outline, acute at the base, dark green above and paler 

 or rusty below. The flowers are solitary or sometimes two 

 or three together in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is round 

 or ovate in form, about 3 inches long, green externally, with 

 yellow flesh of mealy texture. The seeds are one to five in 



