KEY TO THE VAEIETIES. 99 



when ripe ; flesh 2.5 to 5 mm. thick, becoming hard and dry ; seed about 

 two-thirds as long as the fruit, one-third to two-fifths as wide as long, 

 broad and rounded at both ends, between russet (III, 16) and wood 

 brown (III, 19), the ventral channel open; branches of the fruit clusters 



orange buff (VI, 22) Kenteeshy <* (p. 84). 



Skin, where loose, russet (III, 16) ; giant-cell zone less sharply defined, with 

 groups of these cells extending through the outer layer of flesh nearly to 

 the skin. 



Ripe fruit dull purplish maroon (IV, 2), with considerable bloom, 35 to 40 mm. 

 long, often somewhat curved ; flesh 2.5 to 4 mm. thick ; seed about two- 

 thirds as long as the fruit, generally one-third as wide as long, the ventral 

 channel open; giant cells wax yellow (VI, 7); branches of the fruit 

 clusters orange colored Lemsy (p. 75). 



Ripe fruit dull l)ay (IV, 5) (dull Indian purple (VIII, 6) toward Jbase), with 

 considerable bloom, 32.5 to 35 mm. long; flesh 2 to 3 mm. thick ; seed about 

 seven-tenths as long as the fruit, one-third to two-fifths as wide as long, 

 the ventral channel open ; giant cells tawny (V, 1) l)rown; branches of the 

 fruit clusters pale orange Halooa Bayda* (p. 76). 



SOFT DATES. 

 ROUND SOFT DATES. 



Fruit 35 to 4$ mm. in greatest diameter, mostly longer than vvide, spherical or 

 nearly so, keeping its shape well when preserved, color before maturity 

 dull orange broivn, between maroon (IV, 2) and prune purple (VIII, 1) 

 when ripe; skin, where loose, tawny (V, 1) ; flesh firm, 8 to 10 mm. 

 thick ; seed very thick, six-tenths to seven-tenths as long as the fruit, 

 about three-fifths as wide as long, conspicuously roughened with longi- 

 tudinal and transverse furrows, the ventral channel closed, the germ 

 pore not distinguishable ; giant cells mostly spherical or quadrangular 

 with rounded angles, rarely more than one and one-half times as long as 

 wide, ferruginous (IV, 10) in color Tronja (p. 67). 



Fruit 25 to 35 mm. in greatest diameter, usually somewhat wider than long, 

 usually widest above the middle, often slightly depressed at the apex, 

 not keeping its shape well irlicn preserved, deep chrome yellow (VI, 8) 

 before maturity, very dark brown purple (almost black) lohen ripe; flesh 

 very soft, 6 to 10 mm. thick, very dark colored ; seed two-thirds to four- 

 fifths as long as the fruit, one-half to two-thirds as wide as long, mummy 

 brown (III, 10) to russet (III, 16) color, smooth, the ventral channel 

 nearly closed except near the apex ; giant cells very variable in size and 

 shape, spherical, elliptical or irregularly triangular or quadrangular with 

 rounded angles, mostly one to one and one-half (rarely more than 2) 

 times as long as wide, burnt umber (III, 8) colored; branches of the 

 fruit clusters deep orange Tantabooshtc (p. 85). 



BROAD SOFT DATES. 



Sirupy Broad Soft Dates. 



Fruit 32.5 to 35 mm. long, about three-fourths as wide, very broad ovate, widest 

 at the base and narroived thence to the broad rounded apex, bright bay 

 (IV, 5) colored with a pronounced bloom when ripe; flesh very soft, about 

 3 mm. thick, translucent; seed wood brown (III, 19), one-half to two- 

 thirds as long as the fruit, about one-half as wide as long, rounded at 



a Description supplemented by fruit from the garden at Tempe, Ariz., from a 

 palm originally from Biskra, Algeria. 



&The fruits of young palms labeled Halooa in the Tempe garden, originally 

 from Biskra, Algeria, differ from the above description in several particulars 

 and probably belong to another variety. It should be noted that in Tunis the 

 word Halooa (sweetmeat) occurs as a prefix in the names of several very 

 different varieties of dates. Thus, Halooa Ch'eb, Halooa Teboolboo, etc. 



c Description supplemented from the fruit of 3 palms in the Tempe, Ariz., 

 date garden. 



