14 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED, 



44451 to 44468. 



From Curagao. Dutch West Indies. Collected by Mr. H. H. Curraii. Re- 

 ceived April 3, 1917. Quoted notes by Sir. Curran. 



44451. Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. MalvacesE. Okra. 



{Hibiscus esculentus L.) 



" Ciamlco. A inalvaceous plant, the green seed pods of which are 

 cooked as a vegetable and are very palatable, having a slight mucilagi- 

 nous quality." (See S. P. I. No. 37806.) 



44452. Acacia villosa (Swartz) Willd. Mimosacese. 



" Watapaana sjimaron. Markets at Willemstad, March 9, 1917." 

 A thornless shrub, native to Curasao, Dutch West Indies, with pinnate 

 leaves composed of 10 to 15 pairs of leaflets, each about 5 cm. (2 inches) 

 long, flower heads in a curtainlike inflorescence, and flat, dry, brown pods. 

 The natives call it Mata gaUaija and wild dividivi. (Adapted from 

 Boldingh, Flora voor de Nederlandsch West Indische Eilanden, p. 206.) 



44453. Annona muricata L. Annonacese. ' Soursop. 



" Sorsaaka. Edible fruit. March 9, 1917." 



"A small, evergreen, tropical American tree, about the size of a peach 

 tree, with leathery, ill-smelling, glossy leaves, large flowers with fleshy 

 petals, and very large, fleshy, green fruits often as large as a child's head 

 and weighing as much as 5 pounds, containing white, juicy, pleasantly 

 subacid pulp. It is commonly cultivated in the Tropics of the Old World. 

 A fine drink is made from the juice, and the pulp makes excellent jelly 

 and preserves. It is easily propagated from seeds or by budding." (IF. E. 

 Safford.) 



44454. Cephalocep.eus lanuginosus (L. ) Britt. and Rose. <Ja<tace8e. 



" Kadoesji. Edible fruit. March 9, 1917." 



"An upright, columnar, unhranched West Indian cactus, up to 6 cm. 

 (2§ inches) in diameter, with eight or nine ribs, round areoles covered 

 with brown wool which turns gray and finally disappears, and two kinds 

 of spines borne in the areoles. The 8 to 10 radial spines are up to 2 cm. 

 (four-fifths of an inch) in length, and the central spines, up to four in 

 number, are reddish brown and about 3.5 cm. (li inches) long. The 

 flowers are about 5 cm. (2 inches) long, funnel shaped, with green sepals 

 and retl-margined petals. The nearly globular, soft, fleshy red berry is 

 about 3.5 cm. (ll inches) in diameter, filled with shining black seeds. 

 (Adapted from Schumann, Gesamtbeschredbung der Kakteen, p. 183, as 

 Piloccreus lanuginosus. ) 



44455. Coccoi.OBis diversifoj^ia Jacq. Polygonacese. 

 " Kaw<ialia. Edible fruit. March 9, 1917." 



A small West Indian tree. 8 or 10 feet high, with greenish brown 

 branches ; bright-green, leathery, smooth, shiny leaves which are very 

 variable in shape; white, inconspicuous flowers in spikes 4 to 6 inches 

 long; and round, purple-fleshefl drupes about the size of a small cherry. 

 The natives eat the fruits, but the flavor is not very pleasant. (Adapted 

 from W. J. Hooker. Exotic Flora, vol. 2, pi. 102.) 



