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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



simplest technique is merely to toss a quantity of 

 seed into the maize field, in the hope that a few 

 plants may result. "Not everyone is able to plant 

 papayo; some men and some women have good 

 luck; for others, the fruit is very small." This 

 may refer to the dioecious character of the papaya, 

 of which most of the Totonac apparently are not 

 aware. On the whole, the fruit does not do well 

 in Tajin; often it is ill-formed and hard, and in- 

 variably of poor flavor. It is said, however, that 

 formerly it was grown with considerable success. 



"We collected no specimen of cultivated papaya, 

 but a local wild f orm, which crops up after monte 

 alto has been felled and, subsequently in aban- 

 doned maize fields, has been identified as Carica 

 papaya Ij. (No. 172). 



A number of trees are known locally as zapotes, 

 although few actually belong to the sapote family. 



Of the latter, the sapote mamey (Calocarpum 

 sapota ( Jacq.) Merr., No. 350) is relatively scarce. 

 According to one informant, seed is planted in 

 August; another, in January. Nemesio Martinez 

 has heard that a person who plants sapote nwsmey 

 will die when the tree bears its first fruit, but he 

 is unconvinced, since his mother took the risk and 

 survived. The tree yields after about 10 years, 

 and its fruit is available during summer months. 

 Individual fruits are sold in Papantla at $0.20 

 pesos each ; it is said that in the vicinity of Boca 

 de Lima, this sapote is raised in sufficient quantity 

 to be sold in lots of a hundred. 



Another member of the same family may be 

 considered semicultivated ; it is the sapote mante 

 (Pouteria campeohiana (H. B. K.) Baehni, No. 

 220 ) . Essentially a monte alto tree, the seed some- 

 times is planted in the maize field or in the house 

 clearing, in November or December, which is when 

 fruit is borne, After five years the tree produces ; 

 the fruit is eaten occasionally but seldom is sold. 



The sapote chioo (No. 191) is not cultivated, 

 although both its fruit and its chicle sometimes 

 are exploited (pp. 83, 162). The sapote de calen- 

 tura (No. 198) may or may not be of the same 

 family; it is another monte tree, uncultivated, 

 whose fruit sometimes is eaten. 



Of the persimmon family, the sapote prieto 

 (Diospyros ebenaster Ketz, No. 125) is planted 

 from seed, in November and "grows anywhere." 64 



After 5 years it starts to bear and fruit is avail- 

 able "about the time of Corpus Christi." A small 

 amount is sold locally, but "no family has more 

 than one or two trees." 



The sapote domingo (Mammea americana L., 

 No. 127) is an American cultivate but is said to 

 have been unknown in Tajin until about 1900. 

 "Because the tree gives nice shade," it sometimes 

 is planted adjacent to the house. It is relatively 

 rare and the little fruit which is produced is con- 

 sumed locally. 



We come now to two trees of the rose family. 

 One is the sapote cabello (Licania platypus 

 (Hemsl.) Fritsch No. 90), which is primarily a 

 monte alto tree. "But some plant it, in October 

 or November, when there is much rain." The 

 edible fruit is produced "about All Souls' Day" 

 and is sold in Papantla, where it reputedly is pop- 

 ular. Individual fruits bring $0.10 or $0.15 pesos ; 

 a "load," $8.00 pesos. At least two people in Tajin 

 raise the fruit in sufficient quantity to sell by 

 the load. 



The gurupillo (Oouepia dodecandra (DC.) 

 Hemsl., No. 339) is another tree of the rose family 

 which is cultivated half-heartedly. The fruit is 

 collected when it turns yellow and is eaten raw; 

 some sell, giving two or three fruits for $0.05 

 pesos. 



The Totonac recognize three different kinds of 

 avocado, each subdivided according to whether it 

 produces green or black-skinned fruit. The seed 

 of the "large avocado" (kukakAi) is planted in 

 October or on Kings' Day (January 6) and begins 

 to bear after about 8 years. The one yielding 

 green-skinned fruit is called stakani kukvAil, and 

 that which produces black-skinned, tfe^ake. The 

 fruit is said to have more meat and to be of better 

 flavor than that of the aguacate oloroso described 

 below ; and, in contrast to the latter, its leaves are 

 odorless. 



The aguacate oloroso (Persea americana Mill, 

 var. di^ymifolia (Schlecht. & Cham.) Blake, No. 

 248) is regarded as quite distinct, owing to its aro- 

 matic leaves and its less desirable fruit. One form 

 (kuka-ta stakcat) produces green-skimmed fruit; 

 another (kuka-ta), black-skinned; the former is 

 preferred. The tree is planted from seed and is said 



w Standley (p. 1128) considers the zapote prieto native to the 

 East Indies, "but widely cultivated in tropical America." He 



adds that the tree "must have been introduced into Mexico at an 

 early date, for it is mentioned by the older writers. Indeed, some 

 writers have been inclined to consider it a native of Mexico . . ." 



