158 cook: name for the sapote 



to be done is the determination, of the condition of the water — a 

 tedious task — and the quantitative analysis of the mineral from 

 Utah, hence it may be some time before we shall feel warranted 

 in presenting our completed work. It .will be better to describe 

 all the minerals in one comprehensive paper, than to publish 

 now incomplete details to be supplemented later. 



Besides the red calcium vanadates we received from Messrs. 

 McNaughton and McMillen a black friable sandstone, also from 

 the Joe Dandy claim. It is not carbonaceous as one might sus- 

 pect, but the black color is due to a vanadium mineral occurring 

 in indistinct prisms (whether this is a calcium compound or not is 

 as yet undetermined). It is somewhat doubtful if chemical 

 study will reveal its exact composition, for other vanadium com- 

 pounds are present with the black one, as is indicated by the 

 existence of vanadium in three states of oxidation, corresponding 

 to V2O5, V2O4 and V2O3. The greater part of the vanadium is in 

 the V2O4 state, and to this the color of the rock seems to be due. 

 In the course of time the specimens have taken on a greenish cast, 

 but on freshly broken surfaces the color is still black. 



It is much to be desired, both from scientific and commercial 

 standpoints, that a careful geological exploration of the uranium- 

 vanadium bearing areas of western Colorado and Eastern Utah 

 be undertaken at an early date. These areas are being contin- 

 ually extended as new discoveries are made. 



BOTANY. — A new generic name for the sapote. 0. F. Cook, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. • 



Much confusion has attended the application of generic names 

 to two important tropical fruit trees, the sapote and the sapodilla, 

 the latter being the source of the chicle gum of commerce. Addi- 

 tional facts that tend to simplify these nomenclatorial complica- 

 tions have come to light during a recent review of the subject. 

 The final result is to show that the generic name Achras belongs 

 definitely to the sapodilla tree, and that a new generic name is 

 required for the sapote. The reasons of these conclusions may be 

 summarized as follows: 



