37 2 
The tree is liable to attacks of the caterpillar of the large Atlas 
moth, Attacus Atlas and also to those of a species of Parasa , one 
of the nettle grubs, a pale bluish white caterpillar armed with 
short poisonous stinging thorns. Hand picking is the only method 
of getting rid of these pests. 
The sour-sop, Anona muricata , Durian Blanda is a rather larger 
shrub\ or small tree. The fruit attains a large size about 2 tfes. 
weight dark green and obversely pear shaped, covered with short 
soft processes. The pulp is more abundant than in the Sweet-sop 
fibrous and very juicy, with a pleasant acid taste. It can be eaten 
fresh, but is probably best known in the form of sour-sop ice, the 
juice being squeezed out to form the flavouring of the cream. It 
also makes an excellent pudding with whipped cream or may be 
used for flavouring blanc-mange or corn-flour. 
The bullock’s heart, A nona reticulata , Bua S’ri Kaya, is perhaps 
the best of the Anon as grown here. The tree resembles those of 
the other species, but the fruit is mud) larger than the sweet-sop 
though smaller than the sour-sop. Its surface is smoother than 
either and when ripe is reddish in colour, d he flesh is white and 
rather firmer than that of the sweet-sop, and much more abundant, 
with a very delicate flavour. The tree does not do well in Singa- 
pore for some reason, but thrives well in Malacca where very ex- 
cellent fruit can be obtained. It is not as often cultivated as either 
of the other two, but is really the best eating fruit of the order. 
The Cherimoyer, Anona chenmolia, is often asked for by gar- 
deners here. It has the reputation of being far the finest of all 
Anonas. The tree has been in cultivation here several times, but 
it thrives but ill and has never been known to fruit. I hear also 
that in Java it has proved always a failure. 
Uvaria Ridley i ., King. 
A small shrub growing in sandy places in Pahang, and known to 
the natives as “ Ladak, ” produces a small fruit with a sweet pulp 
which is very pleasant. It is too small to be worth cultivating. 
NympHEACE^. 
The seeds of the lotus, Nelumbium Lotus , the well known cul- 
tivated plant are eaten as nuts by the Chinese and other natives 
and are well worth eating. When ripe, they are peeled and eaten 
raw. 
BiXINE/E. ' 
This order contains several trees belonging to the genus tlacour- 
tia, which produce abundance of small but pleasant fruit, of these 
the best is Flacourtia cataphracta , the Rukam. 1 he tree attains 
a height of about 20 feet with a spreading head. The stem is 
armed with powerful branched thorns, the leaves small lanceolate 
acute toothed 3 inches long. The flowers are small and yellowish 
green. 1 he fruit is globular about half an inch long, with stigmas on 
the top, of a dull reddish colour, containing a number of rather large 
flat seeds. The fruit has somewhat of the flavour of a gooseberry 
but it is peculiar in one respect, that even when quite ripe it is hard 
