210 Fruits of Cuba. 
"Ihe former scientific name of the pine-apple was. 
Bromélia andnas. It is now a genus under the natural 
order Bromeliacee ; while the generic name Bromélia 
is appropriated to a class of tropical plants, which are 
commonly called wild pines, and are usually epiphytal 
in their habit, that is, have the growth of air-plants. 
The Ananassa, or pine-apple, is distinguished from these 
and from other genera of the same order, by its succu- 
lent fruit collected into.a compact head. The crown 
of the fruit is only the termination of the branch, 
round which the flowers are clustered. : The calyces 
and bractez of these flowers are fleshy, and grow firmly 
together into a single head ; and it is the points of these 
parts which form the rhomboidal figures, into which the 
whole surface is divided, and which are called by gar- 
deners the pips. These pips give the fruit the appear- . 
ance of a pine cone, and suggested the common, English 
name of pine-apple. If you cut them open, you may at 
any time discern the parts of the flower. 
Though the fruit itself is of a splendid appearance, 
yet the whole plant makes no show, but is, on-the con- 
trary, low and ragged ; and its long thorny leaves warn 
_you to be careful in your approaches. 
There are several varieties of the Anank: A kind 
grows wild in Cuba, which is hiġhly scented and fla- 
vored, but very acrid, and is seldom eaten, except in 
some prepared form. "The golden yellow, sugar-loaf 
kind, when fully ripe, is as healthy as it is exquisite. 
We very seldom get the imported fruit in any thing like 
perfection ; it is either of a poor sort, or gathered un- 
ripe. . Cuba is the very place in which to find the king 
of fruits in all his glory. The old writers tried to give 
an idea of the flavor of a pine-apple to the many who 
A, 
4* 
Tw. 
