The Description.

The history of these two trees, together with the figures I here give you, are in the Curæ Posteriores of Clusius, from whence I will take as much as concerns their history, and briefly here give it you.

That of the poet (saith he) is most true, Non omnis fert omnia tellus:["not every land brings forth every thing" Virgil, Eclogues. IV. l.39] for I think there is no province to be found, which produces not some peculiar plant not growing in other regions, as they can testify who have travelled over foreign countries, especially if they have applied themselves to the observation of plants. Amongst such I think I may reckon that honest and courteous man John Van Ufele, who returning out of that part of America called Brazil, showed me in the year 1607 a book, wherein he in lively colours had expressed some plants and living creatures: for as he told me, when he purposed to travel he learned to paint, that so he might express in colours, for his memory and delight after he was returned home, such singularities as he should observe abroad. Now amongst those which he in that book had expressed, I observed two very singular, and of a strange nature, whose figures without any difficulty he bestowed upon me, as also the following history.

These two trees, whose figures you see here expressed, are of the same kind, and differ only in sex; for the one of them, to wit the male, is barren, and only carries flowers, without any fruit; but the female only fruit, and that without flower: yet they say they are so loving, and of such a nature, that if they he set far asunder, and the female have not a male near her, she becomes barren, and bears no fruit: of which nature they also say the Palm is.

Now the bole or trunk of that tree which bears the fruit is about two foot thick, and it groweth some nine foot high before it begin to bear fruit; but when it hath acquired a just magnitude, then shall you see the upper part of the tree laden with fruit, and that it will be as it were thick girt about therewith for some nine foot high more: the fruit is round and globe-fashioned, of the shape and magnitude of a small gourd, having when it is ripe a yellowish pulp, which the inhabitants use to eat to loosen their bellies: this fruit contains many kernels of the bigness of a small pea, black and shining, of no use that he could learn, but which were cast away as unnecessary; the leaves come forth amongst the fruit, growing upon long footstalks, and they in shape much resemble the Plane tree or great Maple.

What name the Brazilians give it he could not tell, but of the Portugals that dwelt there it was called Mamoera, and the fruit mamaon, of the similitude I think they have with dugs, which by the Spaniards are called Mamas and Tetas.

There is no difference in the form of the trunk or leaves of the male and female, but the male only carries flowers hanging down, clustering together upon long stalks like to the flowers of Elder, but of a whitish yellow colour, and these unprofitable, as they affirm.

Both these trees grow in that part of America wherein is situate the famous bay called by the Portugals, Baya de todos los santos, lying about thirteen degrees distant from the Equator towards the Antarctic pole.