162 



first century, who says small fruit without seed are often found on 

 the same shoots with others. At Maesaba, in Palestine, there is 

 a date palm in a convent courtyard, said to have been planted 

 by St. Saba, A.D., 490. which always bears stoneless fruit', and 

 at Mooltan, India, there is one tree which bears a stoneless fruit, 

 and in former years it was considered a royal tree and the fruit 

 was reserved for the reigning sovereign^. 



DiOSCOREA ACULEATA. L" (DIOSCOREACE.E). 



■ 



The fruit of this yam, eaten by the common people of Mala- 

 bar, according to Rheede,^ has no seed, 



F 



DiOSPYROS MELANOXYLON, ROXB. (EbENACE^). 



This species has an ovoid or globose yellow fruit, about an 

 inch to an inch and a half in diameter, with yellow pulp, soft, 

 sweet and slightly astringent. The seeds four to eight^. In In- 

 dia, Forsyth^ mentions a cultivated variety without stones. ^ 



DiOSPYROS schi'tse, Bunge. (EbENACE/E). 



This large orange-colored fruit of northern China, as sold in 

 the streets of Peking, according to Bretschneider,^ is always 

 aspermous. 



Fig. Ficus carica, L. (Urticace.e). 



This is an anthocarpous fruit, in which the axis or the ex- 

 tremity of the peduncle, is hollowed, so as to bear within numer- 

 ous flowers, all of which are united in one mass to form the fruit. 

 Dr. PresF enumerates no less than forty varieties that are culti- 

 vated in Sicily. Dr. Robert Hogg^ enumerates sixty-five. In 

 the United States a leading firm of nurserymen'^ offer twenty-five 

 varieties in its list. The London Horticultural Society's Cata- 

 logue'" give forty-two varieties. 



1 Gard. Chron. Jan. 23, 18S6, p. 114. 



2 Journ. Aj^ri.-Hort. Soc. of Ind., 1S67, Nov. 20 



3 Rheede, Malabar, vol. vii., p. 71. 



4 Brandis. Forest Flora, p 294. 



5 Highlands of Central India, p. 463. 

 6Bretschn. Bot. Sin. iii. 



7 Hooker's Journ. of Bot. i. 142. 



8 Fruit Manual, ^ded. p. 102. 



9 Ellwanger & Barry, Desc. Cat. 1880. 

 10 Downing. Fruit, l366, p. 290. 



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