266 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



globular or ovoidal syncarpium as big as the fist, with a mammillated 

 surface like the preceding, greenish without, and with a whitish 

 Hesh within, is, according to some travellers, the most exquisite of 

 fruits ; its gelatinous pulp possesses a delicate flavour of strawberry 

 and pineapple. Like most of the edible Anonas this species is 

 cultivated in all warm climates ; and might be grown, it is asserted, 

 in the South of Europe. Nevertheless, Father Feuilee's opinion 

 of the best Custard-apples applies to this fruit also, viz., that none is 

 equal to our exquisite European pears. They are all much prized 

 in tropical regions, but must be eaten when just ripe. They are 

 already overripe when they fall off the tree ; gathered too soon they 

 are astringent, and the tougher outer layers are then too rich in re- 

 sinous matters and essences, giving the fruit an after-flavour of tur- 

 pentine. They are no doubt refreshing, but are often injurious to 

 invalids, especially the feverish, who find them " too raw" and in- 

 digestible. Before they are ripe they are only eaten with the addition 

 of a certain quantity of sugar ; they are then more tonic, owing to 

 their astringency. Usually they are far less nutritious for their 

 bulk than our indigenous fruits, containing a larger proportion of 

 water. The expressed juice is sweet and mucilaginous ; fermented 

 it produces a sort of sweet wine called " vin de Corossol" in the 

 Antilles. This drink does not usually keep well, turning sour 

 very readily. As stated above, the fruit when incompletely ripe 

 is slightly astringent ; it is then better tolerated by the alimentary 

 canal ; otherwise it may arrest digestion, and aggravate instead of 

 alleviating the disordered functions. In Peru the young fruit is 

 prized as an astringent drug ; its decoction and powder are pre- 

 scribed in cases of diarrhuea and dj^sentery. 



The fruit of Aaona reticulata^ is the Castard-ajjple; otherwise 

 known as Corossol reticule or sauvage, jjetit Corossol, Cachiman, Cceur- 

 dc-lja'uf, or Mamilier, a large globular or oval berry, whose surl'ace, 

 covered by a network with more or less distinct irregular pen- 

 tagonal meshes, is of a reddish yellow or tawny colour. This 

 fruit is edible, but, it is said, not much esteemed.^ The leaves 



' L., ^pec, 7o7.— Sloaxk. Jam., t. 226. — Indies, and Brazil. Eoxbtthgh says that it is 



Jacq., Ohs., i. t. 6, fig. 2.— DC, Syst., 1, 474 ; culled Isoona in India, and believes it to be 



Prudr., n. 18. identical with A. asiatica LouB. (nee L). 



2 'I'liis is the true Custard -apple of English 3 ^ j^ ^^.^y heating according to TusSAC 



colonists; it is cultivated in Mauritius, the East {Flor. Antill., v. 1, t. 'I'd). 



