22 BULLETIN 445, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



They are usually more or less compressed from being crowded to- 

 gether on the stem; a tuft of dry, brown sepals protrudes about an 

 inch beyond the apex. The flesh is crisp, juicy, white, and contains 

 two or three rows of small flattened seeds. The flavor is spicy and 

 delightfully subacid. Care must be taken to remove the skin before 

 eating, however, as it contains a principle which burns the lips and 

 mouth severely. Like the uncultivated types of pineapple, and to a 

 less extent the cultivated ones, it probably contains raphides and 

 also the enzym known as bromelin. 



The name gravata is not limited to this fruit alone, but in Brazil 

 is commonly applied to a large number of bromeliaceous plants. 



THE ABfU. 



The abieiro {Pouteria caimito (E. and P.) Radlk.), a small tree 

 of the family Sapotacese, produces the fruit known as abiu (the suf- 

 fix " eiro " being added to names of fruits in Portuguese to designate 

 the tree). It is not common in Bahia, but the fruit is seen in the 

 markets in small quantities during February and March. 



The tree is pyramidal in form, reaching a height of 15 to 20 feet. 

 The fruit (PI. X) is Qgg shaped, 3 inches in length, and externally 

 orange yellow in color. The skin is thick and tough. Surround- 

 ing the two or three large oblong seeds is the translucent, white flesh, 

 of delicate flavor, resembling that of the sapodilla (Achras zapota 

 L.). Unless fully ripe it contains a milky fluid which coagulates on 

 exposure to the air and sticks to the lips in an annoying manner. 



The abiu appears to be used only as a fresh fruit. It is, perhaps, 

 more popular at Rio de Janeiro than at Bahia, though its cultivation 

 is not extensive at either place. At Para it is said to be one of the 

 commonest fruits. 



THE PITANGA. 



The pitanga (Eugenia unifiora L. ) , known in southern Florida as 

 Surinam cherry, is widely grown in Bahia as a hedge plant. It seems 

 admirably adapted to this use, forming a compact, bright-green 

 hedge, thickly foliaged from the ground up. It produces small, ob- 

 late, ribbed fruits, deep crimson in color and about an inch in diame- 

 ter ; when grown as a hedge, however, the plants do not bear as heav- 

 ily as when given more room and allowed to develop unhindered. 

 The small, ovate, glossy green leaves are frequently scattered over the 

 floors of the houses, yielding, when bruised by trampling, an agree- 

 able spicy odor, which is much liked and thought to be efficacious in 

 driving away flies. 



THE CASHEW, OR CAJlfr. 



One of the most abundant and popular fruits is the cashew, or 

 cajii {Anacardium occidentals L.), of which there are innumerable 



