DATE VARIETIES 259 



Arabs easily distinguish the palm in a plantation 

 by the dark yellowish color of the petioles and lower 

 part of the leaves, as compared, for instance, with the 

 lighter colored and strictly glaucous Zahidi. Its 

 spines are stout but rather short, inclined at a sharp 

 angle to the petiole. Offshoots are always small in 

 size. 



In form, the date is oblong-oval, broadest near 

 center and narrowing gradually toward the rounded 

 or slightly flattened base and the rounded apex. 

 Size medium, length one to one and one-half inch, 

 breadth three-fourths to seven-eighths inch. Surface 

 smooth, glossy, translucent orange brown to bright 

 brown in color, bloom unnoticeable. Skin rather 

 thin and delicate, usually without wrinkles or folds, 

 adhering closely to the flesh, ^hich is translucent 

 golden brown in color, entirely free from fibre around 

 seed, one-fourth inch thick, possessing the caramel 

 consistency to a high degree. Seed small, oblong- 

 obovate, slightly pointed at each end, three-quarters 

 inch long, five-sixteenths inch wide, smooth, russet, 

 ventral channel open. Flavor unusually rich on 

 account of the syrup with which the whole fruit is 

 filled, yet not cloying; the characteristic date taste 

 pronounced. 



Laqu, Lagoo, Lagou, The Distorted Mouth (?) 

 from its peculiar curved outline; the word originally 

 means a kind of facial paralysis. An early and 

 esteemed Tunisian soft date which has given good 

 results in California. It is an important date in the 

 native export trade, because of its excellent shipping 

 qualities and the fact that it keeps its shape well. 

 Ripens in September. 



