Oranges and Bananas. 513 



Genipapo {Genipa Brasiliensis) is a fruit eaten with 

 sugar. The tree belongs to the Cinchona family, and 

 grows on the Lower Amazons. 



Maeacuja {Passiflora alata) is a wild fruit of the size 

 of a pear, found on the Brazilian Amazons. There are two 

 kinds : M. assu and M. miri. 



Oeanges, or Naeanjas, abound the whole length of the 

 river; those of Moyobamba probably have no superior. 

 The trees blossom all the year round, but especiall}' in 

 January. The orange has one quality wanting in all other 

 tropical fruits — a blending of the sweet and aromatic fla- 

 vors with the acidulous. All others are either too sac- 

 charine or too acid. Sour oranges, lemons, limes, and sweet 

 lemons are grown sparingly on the Amazons. Indeed, any 

 fruit which requires cultivation is very scarce. 



Pupt5^nha {Guilielma speciosa), or "Peach Palm;" on 

 the Peruvian slope called Pisho-guayo, or " Bird-fruit." — 

 This celebrated fruit has the color and size of a peach. 

 Bates compares it in taste to a mixture of chestnuts and 

 cheese ; and Spruce to something between potato and 

 chestnut, but superior to either. It is very nutritious, and 

 forms the principal article of food of the natives when in 

 season. It is not indigenous, and does not occur wild, but 

 has been cultivated by the Indians, like the cocoa-nut, 

 mandioca, and banana, from time immemorial. 



Mango, the well-known East Indian Terebinth, has been 

 introduced, and is cultivated to a limited extent on the 

 Lower Amazons. 



Banana and Plantain (called in Peru " Geneo " and 



" Platano "), especially the latter, form the most important 



article of vegetable food on the Amazons. Bananas are 



eaten raw ; plantains must be cooked. Botanists call the 



former Miosa paradisiaca, and the latter M. sajpientuin ; 



but there are hosts of variations, and the nomenclature is 

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