536 



CUPULIFER/E. 



There are several species of Chestnuts (Castanopsis) in the 

 Straits, but the fruit is inferior to that of the English Chestnuts. 

 The most popular species is C. Wallichiana, which is very com- 

 mon in the low country, a big tree with spiny fruit and narrow 

 leaves. The chestnuts are small and have rather a hard rind, which 

 makes them troublesome to open. They have quite the flavour of 

 the English chestnut and are used by the Malays, boiled to orna- 

 ment cakes. 



GXETACE^. 



Gnetum guemon, the Maningo, is a tree sometimes but rarely 

 planted, being introduced from Java by the Javanese. It is a hand- 

 some tree and produces small oblong seeds which when peeled are 

 eaten, they have a pleasant nutty taste. 



ORCHIDE.4E. 



The fruit of the wild vanilla, Vanilla Griffithii, a climber with 

 beautiful white flowers, and clusters of soft fruits like small Bana- 

 nas is juicy and sweet. It fruits in January, but is seldom to be 

 found in fruit. It has not the faintest trace of vanillin. 



Amaryllide.e. 



The fruits of Curculigo latifolia, and other species are eatable 

 though very small about half an inch long fusiform and hidden 

 away among the bracts of the flower head at the base of the leaves. 

 They have a taste of sweetened cucumbers, and are hardly wcrth 

 mentioning except for a peculiar property they possess. Although 

 they are by no means very sweet, and leave no distinct sweet taste 

 in the mouth afterwards, yet for some considerable time any liquid 

 that is drunk after eating one or two seems to possess a strong 

 mawkish sweetness. The effect lasts for an hour or so. 



The plant is commonly known as Lumbah. 



H YDROCHARIDE/E. 



The fruit of the marine plant Setul [Enhalus acoroides), a com- 

 mon herb with long grassy leaves growing in sandy spots in shallow 

 sea round our coasts is eaten by children. It is a curious looking 

 hairy green fruit borne on long twisted peduncle. 



Aroide.e:. 



Monstera deliciosa. — A native of South America is an ornamen- 

 tal aroid with large peculiarly perforated leaves which is cultivated 

 in a few gardens and not rarely fruits. It bears a long cylindri- 

 cal mass of small fruits, of a delicious flavour, but difficult to eat on 

 account of the abundant raphides in the remains of the flower. 



Bromeliace.*:. 



The pine-apple Ananassa saliva, is well enough known. A lull 

 account of it and its cultivation will appear in a later number of 

 the Bulletin. 



