52 
BOTANICAL INDEX. 
Some of the most interesting fruit of the tropics are produced by the botanical 
family Anonacece, and are known by the popular names of Alligator Pear, Custard 
Apple, Sour Sop, Sweet Sop, &c., many of which are among the most delicious fruits 
in the world, while a few, although not palatable, present some of the most exquis- 
ite forms in the vegetable kingdom. The Anonacece is exclusively a tropical or sub- 
tropical family, with the single exception of the Asirnina, which, per contra , is a pe- 
culiarly temperate zone genus; three species of which, are found in the Southern 
States, (North America,) reaching from about 25° to 35° north latitude, while one 
species, A. triloba, the subject of this paper, reaches to a little above 42° 30' north 
latitude, in the central portion of the continent, being recorded as growing at Ann 
Arbor, Mich. — (Winchell); and in Wisconsin and Minnesota — (Dr. C. C. Parry). 
The three southern species grow only from about six inches (A. Pygmcea) to three 
feet (A. grandiflora) high, and produce a small, worthless fruit; while A triloba grows 
from fifteen to twenty-five feet high, and its fruit, by many, is considered a very 
desirable one; but, to us, it always tasted like a tropical fruit, grown in an unfriend- 
ly climate, and destitute of the rich, luscious flavor we expect to find in them, but, of 
which they are void. They seem to prefer a cool, rather moist, shady situation, es- 
pecially in the thickets near the banks of streams. 
At the head of this article we give at Fig. Ill a picture of the fruit, fiower and 
leaves of the A. triloba , which, disregarding the quality of its fruit, is certainly 
worthy a notice among our native fruits; especially, as we propose to review the 
whole series, as time and eircumstances will permit. The portion of the bush we 
have selected for our illustration, is from near the end of a branch, and shows two 
leaves and two flowers in their natural form and position, but reduced in size. The 
leaves, as represented in the picture, are oblong, obovate, thin, from eight to twelve 
inches long, pointed, and covered with a rusty down when young, which, however, 
soon disappears. The flowers, Fig. Ill, c, are of a dingy or copper -brown, about 1J 
inches wide, nodding, produced from the axils of last year’s leaves, and appearing 
with the leaves in April or May. Stamens numerous, short, and covering the torus 
with a solid, globular or pyramidal mass. Fruit ovate-oblong in form, smooth, pale 
gre ni-h yellow, a ; >ont 3 or 4 inches long, and ripening in October. Fig. Ill, c, rep- 
r -sents i hum-li of fruit back of the leaves with one fruit cut horizontally from end 
to end. to give a horizontal section, showing, also, the seed insitu. The seeds are 
flat, arranged in two horizontal rows, and are enclosed in a fleshy aril. As we said 
before, the flesh to us is a sweet, insipid, pulpy mass, but, like many other native 
products, a taste is very readily acquired, so that, perhaps, we should say, “fruit ed- 
ible, desirable?” 
The wood of the Asirnina, and, indeed, of all the Anonacece, is soft and yielding, 
(some species are, however, very elastic) so much so, that one species, at least, is 
used in the West Indies as a substitute for cork. The leaves, bark and wood of all 
the family emit a very disagreeable aromatic or fetid odor when bruised, but in some 
species it is more nauseous than in others. “The Malayans use the bark of several 
Anonacece reduced to pulp, for bruises and rheumatic pains, and the fruit of others 
as a stomachic. With the flowers of Uvaria odorata, and with other aromatics and 
Curcuma root, they prepare an ointment with which they annoint themselves to ward 
off fevers in the rainy season. European women in India, it is said, macerate these 
scented flowers in eocoanut oil, as a hair oil. The root of Polyalthia macrnphylla is 
strongly aromatic, and the Javanese mountaineers use an infusion of it in eruptive 
fevers ; they also use the fruit of P. Subcordata to allay nervous colics. Artabotrys 
suaveole.ns grows in nearly all the islands of the Malay Archipelago; from itsinfused 
leaves is prepared an aromatic medicine, which is very efficacious in inducing reac- 
tion during the cold stage of cholera. The aromatic fruit of Xylopia grandiflora 
furnishes the Brazilians with a condiment and a stimulating drug; that of X. frtU- 
escens, a shrub found throughout tropical America, is used as pepper by the negroes; 
that of X. longifolia, which grows on the shores of the Orinoco, is reckoned one of 
the best substitutes for quinine. X. cethiopica furnished the ancients with Ethiopian 
pepper, before black pepper was introduced from India. * * * The leaves 
of Asirnina triloba are used to hasten the ripening of abscesses * * * and its 
seeds are emetic.” — ( Hooker's Descriptive and Analytical Botany.) “The seed of Anona 
squamosa, according to Royle, contains an acrid principle fatal to insects, on which 
account the natives of India use them powdered and mixed with the flour of Gram 
( Cicer avietinum) for washing the hair.” — ( Treas . of Botany.) 
From the above it will readily be seen that this family of plants contributes a 
very important element to the health and comfort of man ; hence, is of great eco- 
nomic value. As an ornamental tree or shrub the Pawpaw adds a charm to a large 
lawn from its peculiar aspect, being of dense and pyramid growth, with the leaves 
always gracefully drooping. Their hardiness to at least 42° north latitude will also 
add to its desirability for lawn planting; and, although the fruit is not relished by 
