106 DATE VARIETIES AND DATE CULTURE IN TUNIS. 



Fruit iclicn ripe chestnut colored (IV, 9) with a very slight purple tinge, the 

 skin where loose tawny olive (III, 17) or ochraceous (V, 7), shiny, the 

 fruit bright orange before maturity, nearly 50 mm. long, somewhat 

 pointed and conspicuously one-sided at apex, not keeping its shape well 

 when ripe; flesh about 4.5 mm. thick, extremely soft and sirupy; seed 

 23 to 24 mm. long, about two-fifths as wide, chestnut (IV, 9) colored; 

 the ventral channel more or less closed, giant cells very diverse in size 

 and shape, all angled (often sharply so), generally considerably longer 

 than wide, triangular, quadrangular, or somewhat pear-shaped, the out- 

 lines often very irregular, ferruginous (IV, 10) in color__ Iteema (p. 89). 



Fruit when ripe bay (IV, 5) or maroon (IV, 2) to prune purple (VIII, 1) (varying 

 to hazel (IV, 12) in Areshty), not or not conspicuously one sided at apex. 



White fibrous lining to the central cavity almost none, flesh only about 2 in in. 

 thick, all soft and dark colored when ripe; fruit 45 mm. long, oblong, 

 narrowed slightly at both* ends, keeping its shape only fairly well when 

 ripe, bright orange yellow before maturity, maroon (IV, 2) with slight 

 purple tinge when ripe, skin where loose saffron (VI, 4) to orange (VI, 3), 

 shiny ; seed about three-fifths as long as the fruit and about one-third as 

 wide as long, the ventral channel open or closed ; giant cells never more 

 and usually less than twice as long as wide, quite variable in form, nearly 

 all angular, in outline triangular, quadrangular, or somewhat pear-shaped ; 

 color orange rufous (IV, 13) to ferruginous (IV, 10) __ Chedakh (p. 92). 



White fibrous lining to the central cavity well developed, flesh at least 3 nun-. 

 thick, skin where loose ochraceous (V, 7) to russet (III, 16), rarely 

 orange (VI, 3). 



Flesh soft and sirupy, 4 mm. thick; fruit keeping its shape only fairly well 

 when ripe, 42.5 to 47.5 mm. long, slightly narrowed at both ends, reddish 

 orange before maturity, between dark maroon (IV, 2) and prune purple 

 (VIII, 1) with a conspicuous bloom when ripe, its surface shiny; seed 

 between one-half and three-fifths as long as the fruit, usually slightly 

 less than one-third as wide as long, widest below the middle or about 

 equally wide throughout, the ventral channel open ; giant cells nearly all 

 angular, similar to those of the preceding (Chedakh) ; branches of the 

 fruit clusters deep orange Ftecniy (p. G9). 



Flesh of firm consistency, fruit keeping its shape well when ripe, broad at base 

 or, if somewhat narrowed at base, the fruit only 40 mm. long, then the 

 flesh only 3 mm. thick and the giant cells all rounded or nearly so. 



Fruit 40 mm. long, generally slightly narrowed at both ends, bright maroon 

 when ripe, with considerable bloom; flesh 3 mm. thick, not very sugar//; 

 seed smooth, 25 mm. long, about two-fifths sis wide, widest above the 

 middle, the ventral channel open, the germ pore above the middle; giant 

 cells very uniform in size and shape, all rounded, spherical or nearly so, 

 orange (VI, 3) in color Khalt Hameed (p. 89). 



Fruit 40 to 60 mm. long, broad at base, flesh 4 to 6 mm. thick, very sugary; seed 

 rough. 



Fruit 41.5 to 55 mm. long, oblong or oblong ovate, broad and rounded at base 

 and apex, keeping its shape well when ripe, dull orange yellow before 

 maturity, between maroon (IV, 2) and chestnut (IV, 9) or between 

 chestnut and hazel (IV, 12) colored with a purplish bloom when ripe; 

 flesh 4 to 6 mm. thick, the white fibrous lining to the central cavity well- 

 developed ; seed 23 to 25 mm. long, two-fifths to one-half as wide, russet 

 (111,16) to chestnut (IV, 9) colored, its surface uniformly roughened 

 with small pits and fine wrinkles, the ventral channel frequently closed, 

 the germ pore usually distinct, always above the middle of the seed ; 

 giant cell* finite uniform in size and shape, all rounded, mostly spherical 

 but some short-elliptical (1* or nearly 2 times as long as wide), rufous 

 (IV, 7) colored; branches o~f the fruit cluster* lemon i/elloir. 



Meini/Jier (p. 61). 



Fruit dull orange before maturity, light bay (IV, 5) or Jit/Jit hazel (IV, 12) 

 colored when ripe; seed roughened here and there with irregular ridges 

 and furrows; giant cells very diverge in xluipe and -s/.rr, nearlu all annu- 

 lar, saffron (VI, 4) to orange (VI, 3) in color; branehe* of the fruit 

 clusters light orange t/r*///// (p. 71). 



a The fruit of this variety is generally at least 4 mm. less than twice as long 

 as wid', and it is therefore described more fully under liroad Soft Dates. 

 p. 101.) 

 92 



