24 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPOKTED. 



44555 and 44556. 



From Tolga, via Cairns, Queensland, Australia, Presented by Mr. J. A. 

 Hamilton. Received April 12, 1917. 



44555. CucuEBiTA sp. Cucurbitacese. Melon. 

 " Chinese pie or jam melon ; very productive ; the point in its lavor is 



that the seeds are all in one cavity and not embedded in the flesh as in the 

 other preserving melons." (Hamilton.) 



44556. Passiflora sueerosa L. Passifloracese. 



" Wild passion vine ; the flowers are pretty, but I can not say whether 

 the fruit is edible or not." [Hamilton.) 



44557 to 44561. 



From Jerusalem, Palestine. Presented by Mr. E. F. Beaumont, The Amer- 

 ican Colony Stores, through Mr. Abram I. Elkus, Amei'ican consul. Re- 

 ceived April 17, 1917. 



44557. Lawsonia inermis L. Lythracese. Henna. 

 A handsome shrub, probably native to northern Africa, western and 



southern Asia, but widely cultivated in tropical counti'ies. The flowerfs 

 are white, pink, or cinnabar red and are very fragrant. From the leaves 

 is produced the henna or alhenna of the Arabs ( Cyprus of the ancients), 

 a yellow dye which is used in Egj'pt and elsewhere by women to color 

 their nails, by men to dye their beards, and for similar purposes. It is 

 the camphire of the authorized version of the Bible. (Adapted from 

 Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 4, V- 1830.) 



44558. Medicago ciliaris (L.) All. Fabacese. Bur clover. 



An annual Asiatic plant, growing on the coast and up to 800 m. above 

 sea level, with squarish leaflets ; yellow flowers about one-third of an inch 

 long, in few-flowered clusters or solitary ; and hairy coiled pods, with six 

 to eight rather loose coils having two rows of awl-shaped prickles on the 

 thick flat margin. (Adapted from Post, Flora of Syria, Palestine, and 

 Sinai, p. 230.) 



44559. Medicago scutellata (L.) Mill. Fabacese. Bur clover. 



An annual Asiatic herb, 12 to 20 inches high, with rather large oval or 

 oblong, acutely denticulate leaflets, orange flowers, one-sixteenth of an 

 inch long in small clusters or solitary, and smooth, coiled pods, nearly 

 half an inch in diameter, composed of five to six coils. (Adapted from 

 Post, Flora of Syria, Palestine, and Sinai, p. 227.) 



44560. PisuM FULVUM Sibth. and Smith. Fabacefe. Pea. 

 A slender-stemmed annual, common in rocky places around the eastern 



Mediterranean countries, about 5 dm. tall, with oval to round, dentate 

 leaflets up to 2 cm. long, rusty yellow flowers, pods 4 cm. long, and velvety 

 black, round peas about 4 mm. in diameter. (Adapted from Post, Flora 

 of Syria, Palestine, and Sinai, p. 296.) 



44561. PisTACiA TEEEBiNTHUS L. Auacardiacese. Terebinth. 

 A medium-sized tree, native to the Mediterranean countries, 12 to 15 



m. high, with compound shining leaves having 7 to 11 oblong, caducous 

 leaflets which when bruised give off a strong terebinth odor, hence the 

 name of the plant. The small purple flowers occur in axillary panicles on 

 the previous year's growth ; and the fruit is a little, dry, purple drupe 

 which becomes brown when fully mature, is slightly acid and edible. It 

 produces a tran.sparent gum which is used as a chewing gum. The leaves 

 are used as a fodder by the Arabs. (Adapted from M. Bangol, Bulletin de 

 la Soci6ti d' Horticulture de Tunisie, vol. iJi, p. 153.) 



