76 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED, 



44831 to 44838— Continued. 



44834. IsoTOMA AXILLARIS Liudl. Campanulacefe. 



An erect perennial plant, 6 to 12 inches high, which flowers the first 

 year, appearing to be annual, but forming at length a hard rootstock.^ 

 It has a few spreading branches, irregularly pinnatifid linear leaves 2 

 to 3 inches long, and large, bluish purple axillary flowers. It is a native 

 of Australia, where it is now cultivated as an ornamental. (Adapted 

 from Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 3, p. 11 01.) 



44835. Peksoonia myrtilloides Sieber. Proteaceae. 



A much-branched spreading shrub about 4 feet high, with rigid, oblong- 

 lanceolate leaves about an inch in length and axillary flowers nearly 

 half an inch long. It is a native of the Blue Mountains in New South 

 Wales. (Adapted from Bentham and Mueller, Flora Australiensis, voL 

 5,p.m.) 



44836. Petrophila pulchella (Schrad.) R. Br. Proteacese. 



An erect, shrubby plant, with alternate, much-divided threadlilve 

 leaves and a conical head of small white flowers. It is a native of 

 Australia, where it is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental. (Adapted 

 from Ctirtis's Botanical Magazine, vol. 21, pi. 796, as Protea pulchella.) 



44837. Telopea speciosissima (J. E. Smith) R. Br. Proteaceae. 



Waratah.. 



A stout, erect, glabrous shrub 6 to S feet high, with leathery, cuneate- 

 oblong leaves 5 to 10 inches long and very handsome crimson flowers 

 in dense heads or racemes 3 inches in diameter. The fruit is a leathery. 

 recurved follicle 3 to 4 inches long, containing 10 to 20 seeds. It is 

 native to New South "Wales. (Adapted from Bentham and Mueller, Flora 

 Australiensis, vol. 5, p. SSJ/.) 



44838. YiTTADiNiA TRILOBA (Gaud.) DC. Asteracefe. 

 (T'. australis A. Rich.) 



An herbaceous plant, either erect and apparently annual or with dif- 

 fusely ascending stem from a perennial woody base, usually not more 

 than a foot high. The leaves are entire or coarsely three lobed, and the 

 purplish flower heads are solitary and terminal. It is a native of 

 southern Australia and might be useful as an ornamental in borders- 

 (Adapted from Bailey, Queensland Flora, pt. 3, p. 811.) 



44839. Cacara erosa (L.) Kiintze. Fabacese. Yam bean. 



{Pachyrhizus angulatus Rich.) . 

 From Mayaguez, Porto Rico. Presented by Mr. C. F. Kinman, horticul- 

 turist, Agricultural Experiment Station. Received June 8, 1917. 



^'flahilla." A shrubby, twining, tuberous-rooted vine with trit'oliolato leaves, 

 reddish flowers in racemes up to a foot in length, and straight pods 6 to ■O 

 inches long, containing 8 to 12 seeds. It is cultivated throughout the Tropics 

 for the sake of the edible roots, which are prepared and eaten like potatoes 

 or subjected to a process for extracting the starch. This starch is pure white 

 and is said to be equal in every respect to that obtained from arrowroot. It is 

 very palatable and is used in making custards and puddings. The powdered 

 tubers make a very excellent flour. Although the ripe beans are poisonous, the 

 pods are not and when young are eaten like string beans. In Florida and in 

 the island of Mauritius this bean is used as a cover crop. 



For an illustration of the yam bean as a cover crop, see Plate VIII. 



