MISCELLANEOUS FRUITS 449 



subtropical countries for their fruits, commonly known as tunas, 

 prickly-pears, or Indian figs. 



Among the aboriginal inhabitants of tropical America, the 

 tuna (using this term in a comprehensive sense) has long been 

 held in high esteem. It was early introduced into southern 

 California by the Franciscan monks, and is now found abun- 

 dantly in many places, particularly around the old missions. 

 From America it was carried to Spain by the early voyagers, 

 and from that country it spread along the Mediterranean 

 littoral and finally to many other regions. It is now cultivated 

 and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics. 



The edible-fruited opuntias are erect or spreading plants, 

 growing from 10 to 25 feet in height. They have large flat- 

 tened branches made up of more or less rounded joints, which 

 in popular language are called leaves. Usually these joints 

 bear long sharp spines, although in some species they are almost 

 spineless. The flowers, which are produced toward the upper 

 part of the joints, are yellow or red and rather showy. The 

 oblong to pear-shaped fruits, commonly 2 to 3 inches in length 

 and green to deep maroon in color, contain soft, whitish, trans- 

 lucent pulp intermixed with numerous large bony seeds. The 

 pulp is juicy with a pleasant, although not pronounced, flavor. 

 The principal objection to the tunas is the great quantity of 

 hard seeds which they contain. 



0. Ficus-indica has fewer spines and somewhat differently 

 colored fruit from 0. megacantha; both these species are 

 cultivated in the southwestern United States as well as in 

 Mexico, the Mediterranean region, and elsewhere. Several 

 other species produce edible fruits, but their cultivation is not 

 extensive. 



A considerable quantity of tunas is shipped annually to the 

 United States from Sicily, and an important trade could be 

 developed betweeen the United States and Mexico. 



Because of its rather high nutritive value, the tuna forms 

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