30 BULLETnir 445, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The tree occasionally reaches a height of 30 or 40 feet. Its leaves 

 are elliptical-ovate in form, entire, about 2 inches in length, the veins 

 depressed above and prominent below. The fruits' greatly resemble 

 small guavas ; they are three-fourths of an inch or more in diameter, 

 oblate in form, the apex crowned by a large disk and five persistent 

 sepals. When fully ripe they are orange yellow in color, the surface 

 slightly wrinkled longitudinally and covered with a thick tomentum 

 or down. The skin is thin and surrounds a layer of granular, light- 

 yellow flesh, which incloses the seeds and the soft pulp in which they 

 are embedded. The flavor is similar to that of a guava, but fre- 

 quently stronger. 



According to Tavares^ there are four varieties of this species, 

 but they are not well known. The principal use to which the fruits 

 are put is the manufacture of jellies. 



THE CAMBUCA. 



Botanically the cambuca is referred to Myrdaria plicato-costata 

 Berg, correctly known as M. edulis (Veil.) Skeels, but Barbosa 

 Rodrigues believed there was some confusion within the species. 



Like the guabiroba, this fruit is indigenous to the vicinity of Rio 

 de Janeiro and is also cultivated in gardens. In general appearance 

 both the tree and the fruit are suggestive of the jaboticaba. The 

 leaves are somewhat larger, however, and the bark a darker shade 

 of brown. 



"\'\'liile cauliflorous and sessile, the fruits (PI. XVI), which are 

 commonly eaten fresh, are not produced in such profusion as jaboti- 

 cabas, nor are they found as a rule on the lower part of the trunk. 

 In form they are oblate, an inch and a half in length and 2 inches 

 in breadth, with a small brown disk not over an eighth of an inch 

 in diameter at the apex. The skin is smooth, orange yellow in color, 

 and rather tough. The soft, translucent inner flesh only is edible; 

 between it and the skin is a thick, tough layer, bright orange in 

 color, which has to be discarded with the skin. The flavor is subacid, 

 greatly resembling some of the Passifloras, very pleasant and agree- 

 able, though perhaps not so delicious as that of the jaboticaba. The 

 seed is oval, seven-eighths of an inch in length, and is easily separated 

 from the flesh. 



THE BACUPARI. 



This is a beautiful pyramidal tree {Rheedia hrasiliensis Planch, 

 and Triana) of the family Clusiacese, indigenous to the State of Rio 

 de Janeiro. As indicated by the name it greatly resembles the 

 bacuri {Aristoclesia esculenta (Arruda) Stuntz; Platonia insignis 

 Mart.). It is smaller in size, and while not considered quite so 



1 Op. cit., p. 36, 1913. 



