BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS 57 



However this may be, the stalk of each flower is always 

 composed of two parts, a basal part and the true stalk. 

 This is especially clearly to be seen in Figs. 14 and 16, A. 



While the fruit is growing, the fruit-stalk becomes 

 woody, while the scales on the basal part, which are to 

 be compared with the leaves of an ordinary twig, fall 

 off, leaving only scars as superposed lines or stripes 

 (Figs. 16, B and 17, A). 



When the fruit has been picked, the basal part 

 remains wholly or partly on the tree and forms a 

 cushion, from which flowers will arise again at the next 

 blossoming (Fig. 17, B). The basal part is therefore 

 really a perennial organ a branch bearing no leaves, 

 but scales, and terminally one flower. From the axils 

 of the scales new blossoms appear again. 



This description is not affected by the fact that the 

 blossoms are generally arranged in clusters or dichasia. 

 In these cases the fruit-cushion is not formed by the 

 growth of one basal part, but simply by a combination 

 of basal parts (Fig. 16, A). 



Theobroma pentagona, Bern. 



This species is indigenous to Central America and is 

 only cultivated in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua. 

 On account of the irregular warty structures on the 

 fruit, which resemble the scales of an alligator, this 

 cocoa is called in those countries " cacao lagarto," or 

 "alligator cocoa" (Fig. 18). 



The fruits differ from those of the ordinary cocoa, 

 not only by these warty excrescences but also by five 

 prominent longitudinal ridges. In other respects it is 

 very much like the ordinary cocoa, more especially the 

 Criollo variety. 



The tree is generally described as being not higher 

 than some 4 metres (12 feet) with small flowers and 

 small leaves. Preuss, however, states that he saw very 

 strong and vigorous trees in Guatemala ; and the young 

 trees in the Botanical Gardens in Surinam, as well as 



