370 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



3 inches ; surface smooth or undulating, dark orange-red, and covered 

 with a distinct bloom; flesh dark brown, tinged purplish; flavor 

 sweet and rich, not astringent even while the fruit is still hard. , 



A fruit of excellent quality. 



Yemon. Form oblate, somewhat four-angled ; size large, length 

 2 j inches, thickness 3 j inches ; surface light yellow, changing to reddish 

 and mottled with orange-yellow ; flesh dull red-brown, except in occa- 

 sional light-fleshed specimens; few-seeded or seedless; flavor sweet 

 and pleasant after the fruit begins to soften. 



A fruit of excellent quality. 



Zengi. Form round or roundish oblate ; size small, length 1 f 

 inches, thickness 2\ inches; surface yellowish red ; flesh dark-colored ; 

 flavor sweet, even in the unripe fruit; seeds present. Ripens very 

 early. 



The tree is vigorous in growth and prolific in fruiting. 



THE BLACK SAPOTE (Plate XXII) 

 (Dios.pyros Ebenaster, Retz.) 



Outside of Mexico the black sapote is little known ; in that 

 country, however, it is one of the popular fruits and is grown 

 from sea-level up to elevations of 5000 or even 6000 feet. Un- 

 fortunately, the dark color of the flesh makes the fruit some- 

 what unattractive to those not familiar with it, but its large 

 size, relative freedom from seeds, and its good quality make it a 

 worthy tropical rival of the subtropical kaki or Japanese 

 persimmon. 



In the Mexican lowlands the black sapote, if grown on deep, 

 rich, and moist soil, becomes a large and handsome tree, ulti- 

 mately reaching 50 or 60 feet in height. In regions where the 

 climate is cool or the soil is not favorable, it may not grow 

 higher than 25 or 30 feet. The branchlets are dark colored, 

 and the leaves elliptic or oblong in outline, usually obtuse at 

 the apex, commonly 4 to 8 inches long, and bright green and 

 shining. The flowers are small and white and resemble those 

 of the kaki. They are polygamous, i.e., some of them possess 

 both stamens and pistils and others are staminate. The oblate 

 fruit, which has a conspicuous green calyx around the stem 



