436 MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL FRUITS 



"Treasury of Botany," states that the East Indian variety 

 has long pods, with six to twelve seeds, while the West Indian 

 variety has shorter pods, containing one to four seeds. Seed- 

 lings undoubtedly show considerable variation in the size and 

 quality of their fruit, which accounts for the different "varie- 

 ties" which have been noted by many writers. Since none of 

 these has yet been propagated vegetatively, they are of little 

 horticultural importance. 



THE CARISSA (Fig. 57) 

 (Carissa grandiflora, A. DC) 



For its ornamental value as well as its edible fruits the carissa 

 deserves to be cultivated throughout the tropics. Within the 

 last few years it has become fairly common in southern Florida, 

 and it has been found to succeed in southern California. 



The plant is a large, much-branched and spreading shrub, 

 reaching 15 or 18 feet in height. It is armed with stout branched 

 thorns, and the dense foliage is deep glossy green in color. 

 The leaves are ovate-acute, mucronate, thick and leathery, and 

 1 to 2 inches long. The flowers, which are borne in small termi- 

 nal cymes, are star-shaped, fragrant, and about 2 inches broad. 

 The plant blooms most profusely in early spring, but produces 

 a few flowers throughout the year. The fruits, most of which 

 ripen in summer, are ovoid or elliptic in form, 1 to 2 inches 

 long, with a thin skin inclosing the firm granular reddish pulp, 

 toward the center of which are several papery almost circular 

 seeds. David Fairchild, who studied this plant in Natal (its 

 native home), writes of it: "On the markets of Durban the 

 long, brilliant red fruit of the amatungula is commonly sold ; 

 in fact, during January and February it is one of the commonest 

 fruits to be seen in the stalls. Though variable in size and 

 shape, it has generally an elongated form, with a distinct point, 

 and the diameter of a good-sized Damson plum. The thin 



