CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE 141 
Miltomates are much in demand in Southwest Guatemala, 
and are generally to be found in the markets. 
Melon pear (pepino, Solanum muricatum, S. guatema- 
lense hort.).—Standley and Calderén (1925, p. 195) state 
that the pepino is a native of South America. 
It had probably a fairly late introduction into Guatemala, 
despite its common varietal name, if we may judge from 
the absence of references to it in early literature. 
Today, it is grown, to my knowledge, in Southwest Guate- 
mala only at Panajachel, (1,600 m., or 5,249 ft.), where it is 
a major garden product,” abundant in the local market from 
late March well into June, following a vegetative period of 
about 8 months. The usual variety is light yellowish with 
purple stripes, exactly like the ones which appear on the 
fruit stands in California. They will stand frost, according 
to Bukasov (1930, ch. 18), who records their growth as far 
north as New Jersey, Paris, and Russia, where it was intro- 
duced in 1887. Climatic limitations, then, will not explain 
the restricted distribution in Guatemala. Tax says that, rela- 
tive to the cash return (Tax, Ms., 1936), they are difficult 
and expensive to cultivate at Panajachel. As a rule, how- 
ever, according to Bukasov, “the melon pear is of interest 
for its tasty qualities and its ease of cultivation,” though he 
did say that the plant proved “very exacting” in Russia. 
Peanut (mani, Arachis hypogaea).—This plant usually 
is called by its Antillean name (“mani”) in Guatemala 
though Standley and Calderén (1925, p. 107) report also 
“cacao de la tierra” in use in El Salvador, where the peanut 
is said to be rarely cultivated. That is a hispanicized form 
of the Aztec “tlalcachuatl” (modern Mex. cacahuate). The 
naming of the peanut after cacao, obviously because of the 
resemblance of the “nut” to the Theobrama “bean,” may be 
regarded as evidence of greater antiquity for the latter, and 
relatively recent introduction for the former. Furthermore, 
Bukasov (1930) points out that, whereas Hernandez makes 
no mention of the peanut, Sahagun later does so. 
Peanut cultivation appears to be quite recent in South- 
west Guatemala, at least in the Lake Atitlan region. There, 
at San Pedro, it was said that the planting of this crop © 
began about 1925. The greatest sources still are in the north- 
ern and western peripheries, in the Department of Huehue- 
tenango (Chiantla) and San Marcos (Comitancillo). 
The peanut is a luxury, generally expensive (8 cents a 
pound), according to native standards. Roasted peanuts are 
sold in markets, particularly during fiestas, along with sweet 
buns and candies. The chief peanut merchants of the South- 
west are itinerant Maxefios and Quezaltecas. 
Pineapple (pifia, Ananas comosus).—Though pineapples 
are of considerable significance in parts of the Lowlands, 
the upper limit is not above 1,300 m. (4,265 ft.), with the 
plant infrequent even above 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.). The 1931 
Guatemala Anuario del Servico Tecnico (p. 57) puts the 
limit at 5,000 ft. (1,524 m.). Bukasov, as in other instances 
(eg. papaya, 1,700 m. or 5,577 ft.) places it too high 
(1,700 m.). 
At least two kinds of pineapple, besides the semiwild 
pifiuela or pinguin (Bromelia pinguin, the fruit of which 
appears occasionally in markets) are grown along the pied- 
229 Tt is planted in large mounds (pl. 20, d), just as tomatoes are in 
certain localities (e.g., at San Pedro). Each mound in December is 
covered with purple flowers. 
mont—a spiny-leafed yellow (azucar, called by some “Ha- 
waiian,” which may be native, however) and a smooth-leafed 
white (cuco) presumably criollo, or native. The yellow is 
preferred, though the white seems commoner. The Anuario 
mentions, besides azucar and another unnamed, also a 
variety “Cayena Lisa’ as the finest grown on the Pacific 
plain. 
That the pineapple is native American is not disputed, 
though its specific provenience is somewhat open to question. 
Oviedo described the plant at great length, giving three 
varieties in the West Indies (Yayama, white, sour; Boniama, 
white, sweet, fibrous; and Yayagua, yellow, sweeter, tender.) 
He was lavish in his praise of the delicate flavor of the fruit 
which defies description, telling also of a “multitude of wild 
pineapple,” and the making by the Indians of an inferior 
pineapple wine, poorer than low-grade Spanish wines 
(Oviedo, 1851-55, vol. 1, pp. 280-283). The latter apparently 
carries through to the present, judging from Bukasov’s refer- 
ence to garapiza in the West Indies today. 
Standley suggests that the pineapple “is probably a native 
of Brazil, although it has been under cultivation in Mexico 
and Central America for a long time, perhaps before the 
Conquest.” He reported “pineapples naturalized in woods or 
thickets in a few places about Tela” (Honduras). 
On the basis of the evidence considered, some authorities 
have been led to assume for the pineapple a parallel route 
with manioc: that perhaps from Brazil it went to the An- 
tilles by Arawak introduction, and was there improved by 
long cultivation, and probably taken to the mainland during 
late pre-Conquest time. The Aztec word for it is given by 
Bukasov (1930) as “matzalli.” This, coupled with west- 
coast Central American varietal diversity and good climatic 
adaptation (wet savanna), occasional naturalization, and the 
presence of a wild relative, supports the possibility of Central 
American or Mexican origin. 
Passion fruit, or “maypop” (granadilla, Passiflora 
ligularis).—This species of native American Passiflora fur- 
nishes a juicy, refreshing fruit, with sweet fleshy, gelatinous 
pulp surrounding a mass of brittle seeds in a pod of egg size 
or larger and orange color, which is commonly sold in the 
markets, The natives eat them raw, seeds and all, in great 
quantities in Southwest Guatemala. They are sometimes 
cultivated. This is the species mentioned by Standley and 
Calderén (1925, p. 155), cultivated in Salvador on the high 
volcanic slopes, and “imported in large quantity from Hon- 
duras.’” It has a wide altitude range, probably reaching 
2,600 m. 
Night-blooming cereus (pitahaya, Hylocereus un- 
datus); not the common North American night-blooming 
cereus, which is Selenicereus grandiflorus—This slender- 
stemmed, climbing cactus is common along the rocky shores 
of Lake Atitlan, and the bright scarlet, black-seeded fruit 
is eaten, though it seldom appears in the markets. 
Tobacco (tabaco, Nicotiana tabacum).—It is doubtful 
whether much tobacco (Tabaco, Nicotiana tabacum) was 
ever raised in Southwest Guatemala, judging from early 
20 Standley, 1930, pp. 220-221; 1931, p. 127. I have also seen pine- 
apples naturalized in an uninhabited portion of Chiapas (Santo Do- 
mingo-Jataté River junction, 1928), where no human settlement had 
existed for many years. The pineapples were small (about 8 cm.), but 
of good flavor. 
