92 -—- 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 ABIiU. 
The abieiro (Pouteria caimito (R. and P.) Radlk.), a small tree 
of the family Sapotaces, 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 (Pl. X) is egg 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 fiesh, 
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 (Fugenia uniflora L.), known in southern Florida as 
Surinam cherry, is widely grown in Bahia asa hedge plant. Itseems 
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 CAJU. 
One of the most abundant and popular fruits is the cashew, or 
eajti (Anacardium occidentale L.), of which there are innumerable 
