7Z 



not improbable that "chicle bull" may be a variety or physiologically 

 dififerentiated race of A. sapota. 



Within the species A. zapota, which yields the best chicle of com- 

 merce, most chicleros in British Honduras recognize three forms : 

 sapote bianco, zapote Colorado, and zapote morado. The mauve or 

 morado is said to be the best yielder, with the white next in order. 

 The white and red forms are also recognized in Mexico and Guate- 

 mala, but the mauve is not generally distinguished. In those coun- 

 tries the white sapodilla is reported to yield almost twice as much as 

 the red (Anonymous, 1923). Whether or not these three forms also 

 are to be recognized as varieties or physiological races of A. zapota 

 remains to be seen. Morphologically they appear the same. Their 

 difference lies chiefly in the color of the bark, and the distinctions 

 may be so fine that they are often unrecognizable except to the prac- 

 tised eye. Taxonomists (Standley, 1932) have so far failed to find 

 any essential morphological differences Which would justify recogni- 

 tion of these forms as distinct. Chicleros, however, claim to know 

 the difference as soon as an incision is made in the bark. In the 

 writer's experience there may be almost any degree of transition be- 

 tween the three forms, and frequently expert chicleros have been 

 very doubtful of the type when questioned about the exact identity 

 of certain trees. 



In addition to the previously-mentioned forms of sapodilla, there 

 are numerous other laticiferous trees the latex of which is sometimes 

 used as chicle adulterants. Such adulterants, as far as is now known, 

 are derived chiefly from the Apocynaceae, Sapotaceae, Moraceae, 

 and Euphorbiaceae. The best chicle is reported to come from the 

 Mexican states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Yucatan, because 

 of their comparative freedom from these adulterants. In Peten, 

 Guatemala, other laticiferous trees occur in great abundance in the 

 chicle areas, and their latices have been used to dilute the increased 

 volume of good chicle. This is also true but to a less degree in Brit- 

 ish Honduras, when, during one rainy season, the writer collected 

 specimens of more than twenty trees, the latex of which is reported 

 to be used in varying degrees for adulterating good chicle. With the 

 view of bringing these datas together more concisely, the writer 

 has listed in tables 1 and 2 the species names, families, localities of 

 occurrence, and vernacular names of these adulterants. The order in 

 which they are arranged indicates the degree of frequency with 



