A shrub, or more properly, a low thorny thistle, delighting in a sandy
soil, produces the alabas, round apples, about the size of a hen's egg,
concealing beneath a thick, pliant bark, defended by sharp, but very
slender thorns, a liquid pulp, which is sometimes redder than blood,
sometimes whiter than milk; abounds in soft black seeds; delights the
palate with its delicious flavour; and greatly refreshes the body, when
heated by the sun. Assuredly this fruit, were it found in Europe, would
be ranked amongst the delicacies of the desert. It grows very common in
some parts of Paraguay, but is rarely seen in others.