18 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



54770 to 54775— Continued. 



54772. Perfection (Laxtoii. new). Reported as a remarkably fine red 

 variety of exceptionally vigorous growth; a very heavy cropper, with 

 long bunches of large berries. 



54773. Rahij Castle (May's Victoria, or Cherry). Reported to be a 

 large-fruited strong grower. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 42245. 



54774. Red Dutch. Said to be the variety usually grown. 

 For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 42240. 



54775. Red Grape. Reported a very fine berry and heavy cropper. 

 For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 42244. 



54776. Gni.TEi.MA lttlis Oerst. Phoenicacese. Pejibaye. 

 (Bnctris utilis Benth. and Hook.) 



From San Jose, Costa Rica. Seeds purchased through Sr. Oton Jimenez. 

 Received January 3, 1922. 



*' In Costa Rica the pejibaye has been cultivated by the Indians since remote 

 antiquity. In the lowlands of Colombia. Venezuela, and Ecuador it forms a 

 staple foodstuff of numerous aboriginal tribes. The Jibara Indians of Ecuador 

 hold the fruit in such esteem that the ripening season is celebrated annually 

 by a feast of several days' duration. 



" This palm is pinnate leaved and reaches a maximum height of about 60 

 feet. Its straight, slender stem, commonly about 6 inches thick, is armed from 

 the ground upward with stiff, very sharp black spines about 2 inches long. 

 The leaves, which are graceful in appearance, especially when the plant is 

 young, are cc^mmonly S to 12 feet in length and deep green. 



" The species is monoecious, the staminate and pistillate flowers being pro- 

 duced ui ' ii the same raceme ; the latter occur scattered among the former, and 

 both are small, sessile, and yellow-white. The racemes, which are produced 

 from the trunk of the palm immediately below or among the lower leaves and 

 are protected by erect /ijjathes. are stout and 18 to 24 inches long. 



"The flowers usualu, f appear during April, May, and June in the lowlands 

 of Costa Rica, some\^tiat later in the highlands. The first fruits mature in 

 September ; and from this month until March or April there are usually ripe 

 fruits on the plant, provided the racemes are not cut when the first fruits reach 

 maturity. The long time which the fruits will remain on the palm in good con- 

 dition is a noteworthy feature of the pejibaye. 



" Racemes of mature fruits sometimes weigh 25 pounds or more, and five or 

 six such racemes are often produced by the palm in a single crop. The maxi- 

 mum production of one palm (or, more properly speaking, one stem, since four 

 or five stems are often allowed to grow from a common base) is about 150 

 pounds of fruit. It is seen, therefore, that the productiveness of the pejibaye is 

 similar to that of the date palm. 



" The individual fruits are top-shaped, conical, or ovoid, and vary from 1 to 

 2 inches in length. There is a wide range of variation in color, some varieties 

 being clear light yellow, while others are deep orange or reddish orange, some- 

 times shading to brown. The flesh is dry and mealy, yet firm, and pale orange 

 to yellow. The single seed is conical, about three-quarters of an inch long. 



" The relatively small proportion of water contained in the fruit, the large 

 amount of carbohydrates (mainly starch), the considerable quantity of fat, 

 and the small size of the seed compared to the bulk of the ed.ble portion com- 

 bine to place the pejibaye among the most noteworthy of the tropical fruits. 

 And it is not only a fruit of high food value, but it is delicious as well. We 

 believe that it is destined to become a food plant of great importance in many 

 tropical countries. 



" Like the chestnut, which the boiled fruit strikingly resembles in texture 

 and flavor, the pejibaye is used as a stufling for turkey and chicken. Dried, 

 it m^:ght be reduced to a flour which would serve various culinary uses. But 

 to one who has eaten the freshly boiled pejibaye there is no incentive for 

 seeking new ways of preparing the fruit for the table. 



" The pejibaye is a plant adapted to tropical conditions, preferring a region 

 where the rainfall is not excessive (75 inches annually or less). It is more 

 adaptable than the breadfruit tree. The latter rarely succeeds in the Tropics 



