APEIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1921. 15 



52927. DioscoREA alata L. Dioscoreaceae, Greater yam. 



From Arch Creek, Fla. Tubers presented by J. DeHoff. Received April 

 23, 1921. 



" I procured one tuber in 1893, when I first came to Avon Park, Fla., from 

 a neighbor, H. G. Burnett, who had in his garden a few which he procured from 

 his father--n-law at Fort Myers where small (piantities have lieen grown, I 

 understand, for r>0 years. I had kept seed from year to year since that time, 

 no more though, than I wanted myself, until year before last wlien somehow 

 they made several times more seed bulbs than I ever saw before. This last 

 year they again made only very few seed tubers. I received them under the 

 name of 'White Jamaica yam.' I grew them for five years near I'alatka (at 

 Florahome) and they did well on high hammock land. Down here in Dade 

 County, on very light sandy and rocky land, they produce as much as sweet 

 potatoes and. with me. t:ike the place of Irish potatoes; the latter will not 

 succeed on this dry soil at all. The yams keep for months." (DeHoff.) 



"A white-fleshed yam, fairly dry when cooked, and of excellent quality. The 

 vine produces aerial tubers, which are referred to in Mr. DeHoff's letter as 

 'seed tubers.'" (R. A. Young.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 37943. 



52928 to 52951. 



From Kew, England. Seeds presented by Sir David Prain, director, lloyal 

 Botanic Gardens. Received April 4, 1921. 



52928. AcANTiioPANAx SETUENENSis Hamis. Araliacere. 



A bush 2 to 3 millimeters high, native to western Hupeh, where it is 

 found in thickets at alftudes of 1,800 to 2,100 meters. The white 

 flowers, in short-peduncled umbels, are followed by black fruits. This 

 species is closely related to Acanthopanax Icucorrliizu.^, but is easily dis- 

 tinguished from it by the leaves with almost invariably three leaflets, 

 by their glaucous underside, their more coriaceous texture, and by their 

 more remote and shallower serration. (Adapted from Sargent, Planfae 

 WiJuonianae, vol. 2, p. 599.) 



52929. Aralia chinensis glabrescens (Franch. and Sav.) C. Schneid. 



Araliacefe. 



A black-fruited bush 3 millimeters high, native to China in thickets at 

 altitudes of 900 to 2.700 meters. This variety differs from the type in 

 the glabrous or nearly glabrous glaucescent under side of the leaflets; 

 and from the equally glabrous Aralia chinensis variety mandxhurica it 

 differs chiefly in the usually smaller, more papery leaflets with smaller 

 appres.sed teeth. (Adapted fi-om Sargent, Plantae Wilsonianae, vol. 

 2. p. 567.) 



52930. Bekueris edgeworthiana O. Schneid. Berberidacere. Barberry. 



A small shrub native to Simla, British India, with yellowish gray 

 branches and one to two parted yellowish spines about 2 centimeters 

 long. The elliptic-lanceolate membranaceous leaves are green above and 

 paler below, 1 to 3 centimeters long. The small flowers, 4 millimeters in 

 diameter, are in dense cymes up to 3 centimeters long. (Adapted from 

 Bulletin Herbier Boissier, 2d ser., vol. 8, p. 263.) 



52931. Berbeeis fkancisci-ferdinandi C. Schneid. Berberidace:e. 



Barberry. 



A rather striking species apparently most nearly related to the Hima- 

 layan Berheris chitria, which is well distinguisheil, however, by its 

 puberulent branchlets. the longer stalked and numerous ovules, and by 

 the distinct styles. The handsome shrub is 2 to 3 meters high, with red 

 young branches, thereafter purplLsh, glabrous, and shining. 



The simple, yellowish red spines are up to 2.5 centimeters long. The 

 papery deciduous leaves are ovate or ovate-lanceohite with marginal 

 spines 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. The yellow flowers 7 to millimeters 

 in diameter are in dense panicles 5.5 to 12 centimeters long. The scarlet 

 ovate fruits are 12 millimeters in diameter. Native to thickets in west- 

 ern China at altitudes of 1,300 to 4,000 meters. (Adapted from Sargent, 

 J'laiitae Wilsoniatiae, vol. 1, p. 361.) 



