66 GARFIELD PARK CONSERVATORY 
is one of the most striking and gorgeous of all tropical trees, especially 
when covered with scarlet flowers. It is very rapid growing. 
Psidium Araca, or BRAZILIAN Guava, is a member of the Myrtaceae, 
the family to which allspice belongs. This guava is a native of Brazil. 
It bears a yellow fruit, very sweet and delicious when fully ripe. 
Psidium Cattleianum, or STRAWBERRY GuAVA, is another species of 
the same genus. It is a native of Brazil, but widely cultivated else- 
where. It is cultivated in both California and Florida where its fruit 
is much used in jelly making. The fruits are about the size of a large 
strawberry and the flavor is likened to that of the strawberry. 
Psidium guianense is a guava from Cayenne. 
Psidium molle, or SouR GUAVA, is a native of Mexico and Central 
America. It fruits prolifically, bearing edible yellowish fruits. 
Punica Granatum, or POMEGRANATE, is a member of the Punicaceae, 
a family with no local representatives. It is a native of Persia and 
India, but is cultivated in most tropical and subtropical countries. 
In the United States it is hardy as far north as Washington and Balti- 
more. It blooms freely here, and occasionally ripens fruit. It is a 
small tree with showy flowers, and is in bloom both summer and winter. 
It is a popular hedge plant in the South. The shrub was supposed 
to have been introduced into southern Europe by the Carthaginians, 
whence the name “‘Punicus."” The pomegranate is mentioned in the 
Bible. According to Greek mythology it was the eating of the pulp 
of a pomegranate seed that kept Proserpine from being restored to her 
mother, Ceres, for more than half of each year. Pliny considered the 
pomegranate the most valuable of all fruits both as to beauty and as 
to medicinal value. The fruit can be kept for weeks and is occasionally 
seen in our northern markets. A cooling drink is made from the pulp 
of the seeds. The pulp of the fruit is eaten. The bark of the root is 
employed in medicine. The rind of the fruit furnishes a remedy for 
tenia, and a jet black writing ink is also made from it. The finest 
morocco leather is said to be tanned with the rind. In India a seed- 
less variety is much cultivated. 
Quisqualis indica, or RANGOON CREEPER, or WHAT Is IT?, is a mem- 
ber of the Combretaceae, a family with no local representatives. The 
plant is a native of Malaya. Various explanations are given for the 
name. One is that the flowers are scarlet one day and white the next, 
and the man who named it was perplexed as to the color. The other 
is that it grows as a shrub until it reaches a height of three feet, then 
sends up a new shoot that climbs any nearby tree, and the original 
shrub then perishes, so that the discoverer was amazed at such con- 
duct and exclaimed, “Who? What?" of its behavior, and the exclama- 
tion became its name. 
Russellia juncea, or CoRAL PLANT, is a member of the Scrophulariaceae, 
the family to which our toadflax and mullein belong. The plant is 
a native of Mexico, and is popular for hanging baskets. 
Saccharum officinarum, or SUGAR CANE, a native of Asia, belongs to 
the Gramineae, the family to which grass and corn belong. The 
