cultivating in England, By Mr. John Lindley. 103 



esteemed for their pleasant cooling properties. It is impos- 

 sible for any but those who have been upon the spot to 

 ascertain what particular kinds are cultivated, or to which 

 botanical species those which have been described are to be 

 referred. It is probable that in common language all which 

 are served up at table are confounded under the name of 

 Grenadillas, and that many writers have not been aware of 

 the fruits being produced by different species of Passiflora. 

 Spoken of collectively, their taste is said to be a pleasant 

 sweetish acid, with an agreeable smell between a Melon and 

 a Strawberry.* Pi so, however, describes and figures four 

 principal kinds under the name of Murucuja, none of which, 

 I believe, have been taken up by botanical writers. Except 

 the fourth, they appear to be altogether different from the 

 West Indian kinds, to Mr. Sabine's account of which I have 

 already referred. 



Piso's first sort of Murucuja has three or five-lobed leaves, 

 and purplish blue'flowers. The fruit is round, inclining to oval, 

 and is larger than an European Pear. The smell and taste 

 are aromatic, and so pleasant that nothing exceeds them. 

 The seeds are black, oblong and enveloped in a sweet tenacious 

 mucilage. The best variety of it is that with fruit which is 

 quite round, smooth, bright green, and speckled with white 

 spots ; when ripe, yellow, with a thick tough skin, and a beau- 

 tiful deep yellow pulp of an highly agreeable vinous flavour. 

 He observes that since the Peruvian writers speak of their 

 kinds as insipid, he concludes they are different from his.f 



His second kind has a flower like the first, but with a 



* Fab. Columna in Nardi de reb. Hisp. annot, pag. 890. 

 t Piso Historia Naturalis Brazilian, lib. 4. c. 60. cum fig. 



