Dr. John Nelson

Photo by John Nelson Blustery, sleety days in the late winter make me think about warm places full of tropical vegetation and beautiful scenery. For those of us who can't fly to the Caribbean for a break, we can always vistit your local grocery store.

That's right, folks. Modern well- stocked grocery stores are becoming truly amazing places. When you think about it, the diversity of food items in a big grocery store is much greater now than it used to be. There is such a variety of fruits and vegetatbles year- round, it would appear there aren't seasons anymore.

For a botanist, a trip to the produce section of a large supermarket has considerable educational value. The fruits and vegetatbles on display are frequently a perfect complement to the classroom lecture. In addition, many supermarkets now carry extensive food products from Latin America, often including items not usually seen on traditional American dinner tables.

This is an absolutely wonderful beverage you might try. It's delicious when really cold and has a sort of combination strawberry- banana taste. Of course, the odd fruit pictured on the label is the source of this nectar.

This is a decidedly tropical species, native to much of northern South America and the Caribbean. Although it is tropical, this species is a close cousin of our own paw- paw, which also has a delicious fruit.

This tropical mystery tree is now grown widely in cultivation in just about all the warm tropics. The trees produce handsome green leaves and small yellowish flowers. The fruits start out dark green, and are abundantly equipped with soft, spine- like outgrowths.

The fruits can be quite heavy, and as they age, they become yellow. The juicy interior of the fruit contains a luscious, although somewhat stringy, white pulp, as well as plenty of large seeds.

It's full of vitamins and other good things and is a wonderful source of frozen desserts and pulp shakes. The fruits can be eaten as is, but because of their stringiness, are frequently juiced and made into the refreshing nectar.

Answer to this week's mystery plant

[Answer: "Guanábana," Annona muricata]

Dr. John Nelson is the curator of the USC Herbarium.

To learn more about the Herbarium, call 777-8196. The

department also offers free plant identification.

www.herbarium.org