The name was derived from the word punicus, of Carthage, near which city it is said to have been discovered; hence malumpunicum, Apple of Carthage, which was the early name of the Pomegranate. It is a native of Northern Africa, and of Southwestern Asia, and is grown in the Himalayas up to an elevation of 6000 feet. It is a deciduous shrub, which by careful training can be made to grow into a tree from 10 to 15 feet high. Many shoots spring from the base of the tree, and should be cut away, as they draw the sap which should go to the fruit-bearing stems. The branches are slender, twiggy, nearly cylindrical, and somewhat thorny. The bark contains about 32 per cent. tannin, and is used for dying the yellow Morocco leather. The peel of the fruit serves also as a dye. There are several varieties of Pomegranate growing in Hawaii: the double-flowering variety is popular as an ornamental plant. All of the varieties are of easy culture, and are readily propagated by means of cuttings of the ripe wood. The leaves are lanceolate, glabrous, and a glossy-green with red veins. The flowers are axillary, solitary or in small clusters, and in color are a very showy rich orange-red. The fruit is about the size of an ordinary orange, has a persistent calyx, and is made up of many small compartments arranged in two series, one above the other. The crisp, sweet, watery pink pulp enveloping each seed is the edible portion of the Pomegranate. Plate IV. |