MISCELLANEOUS FRUITS 



433 



known in the United States. In Arabia and India, however, 

 it is a product of considerable importance. 



When grown on deep rich soils the tree may attain to 80 feet 

 in height, with a trunk 25 feet in circumference. The small 

 pale green leaves are 

 abruptly pinnate, with 

 ten to twenty pairs of 

 opposite, oblong, ob- 

 tuse leaflets, soft and 

 about J inch long. The 

 pale yellow flowers, 

 which are borne in 

 small lax racemes, are 

 about 1 inch broad. 

 The petals are five, but 

 the lower two are re- 

 duced to bristles. The 

 fruit is a pod, cinnamon- 

 brown in color, 3 to 8 

 inches long, flattened, 

 and \ to 1 inch in 

 breadth. Within its 

 brittle covering are 

 several obovate com- 

 pressed seeds sur- 

 rounded by brown pulp 

 of acid taste. 



The tamarind is be- 

 lieved to be indigenous 



to tropical Africa and (according to some authors) southern 

 Asia. It has long been cultivated in India and it was early 

 introduced into tropical America. It succeeds in southern 

 Florida and has been grown in that state as far north as 

 Manatee, where a large tree was killed by the freeze of 1884. 



2F 



FIG. 56. The tamarind (Tamarindus in- 

 dica), a leguminous fruit-tree whose brown 

 pods contain an acid pulp used in cooking, and 

 to prepare refreshing drinks. (X ) 



