26 THE LYCHF.E AND LUNG AN 



Fukien, especially in Hinghwafu, it grows in still greater abundance. 

 He states that the fruit grows on trees with a leaf much like that of 

 laurel; that the fruits form in bunches on the twigs at the tops of the 

 branches, much like the grape, but on longer stems. He says that 

 the fruit has exactly the shape of an animal's heart and so pictures it 

 in his drawing;, and that inside the fruit is a juicy flesh, white 

 in color and with the fragrance of a rose. He says that when 

 the tree is in fruit it seems to be decorated with purple hearts and .is 

 greatly admired by onlookers. He concludes, " The flesh almost 

 melts like sugar in the mouth, and does not hurt anybody. Rightly 

 may this fruit be called 'Queen of Fruits'." 



George Joseph Camell, or Kamel L , in a work on the herbs and 

 shrubs of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines, published as 

 an appendix to John Ray's Historic! plantarum, reported local 

 Philippine names as well as the Spanish and Chinese names of .what 

 was apparently the Philippine "alapag", Euphoria vincrca Radlk. 

 He says that this species grows to about the height of a walnut tree, 

 with alternate leaves much resembling the laurel; flowers white and 

 odorous; fruit small, about the size of a hen's egg with a verrucose 

 membranous skin at first green but turning to red, and dark in color 

 when dry. He describes the fruit as containing a small mouthful of 

 diaphanous, excellent, sweetly acid flavor in which there is an oblong 

 tereate seed. He says it is abundant in the mountains Batan, 

 Paliopican in Zebu, Bohol and Basilan. 



Peter J. B. Du Halde 2 , a Jesuit, in a work published at the 

 Hague in 1736, mentions among other fruits the Tse-tse (doubtless 

 the Chinese persimmon), Li-tchiand the Lo-ng-yuen, saying that they 

 are peculiar to China where they are highly regarded and that they 

 grow especially in the province of Kwangtung. He says that 

 scarcely any fruit can be compared with the lychee, especially those 

 varieties with small seeds. 



1 Camello, Georgio Josepho, Herbarum aliarumque stirpium in insula 

 Lu2one philippinarum (Appendix to John Ray's Historia plantaruni), 1704, 

 pages 53 and 54. 



2 Du Halde, Jean Baptiste, Description geographique, historique 

 chronologique, politique, et physique de I'empire de la Chine et de la 

 Tartarie Chinoise, Tome Second, A La Have, Henri Scheurleer, 1736, 

 pages 170 and 17]. 



