MTSORE AND COOM. l69 



both species is supposed to be collected under a 



common vernacular name. 



342 Ardisia humilis, Yahl. Kan. Bodina. • 



mg— Wight Ic. 1 1212. 

 References.— i^Z. of Brit. Ind. : Bedd. For. 

 Man. ; Diet, of Econ. Prod, of Ind. 



A large evergreen shrub of Hassan, SMmoga and 

 Kadur ; or, in the variety arhorescens, a small tree of 

 25 feet. Both forms are cultivated in the Botani- 

 cal Gardens, "where they thrive without care and 

 always look attractive. Leaves very shortly-petio- 

 late, oblong to elliptic, stout and leathery, cuneate 

 at the base and crowded towards the ends of the 

 branchlets. Flowers pink, fleshy. The berries, 

 which are very numerous, afford a yellow dye which 

 is scarcely known at present. Other species of 

 Ardisia should be searched for in the hill region. 



XLIII. SAPOTAOEiE. 



343 Achras ^apota, Linn. 



Fig. — Bot. Plates Lal-Bagh Collection. 



This is the Naseberry or Sapodilla of the West 

 Indies. A small evergreen tree that fruits freely 

 in the Lal-Bagh, during the months of March and 

 April. It is easily propagated from seed and will, 

 no doubt, become naturalised as a garden tree. 

 Long periods of drought are unfavorable to it, and 

 to be highly productive of fruit, it requires proper 

 attention in the matter of irrigating and manuring. 

 Well-grown Sapodillas are the size of a large apple, 

 round or oblong according to variety. 



Taken at the proper stage of ripeness it is a de- 

 licious fruit. But it is not attractive to the eye, 

 owing to the external covering being of the same 

 colour as the bark of the trunk. The cultivation of 

 this useful species should be encouraged in fruit 

 gardens. 



22 



