JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1918. 15 



46387 and 46388— Continued. 



46388. Phormium tenax Forst. Liliace;ie. New Zealand flax. 



" The yield is about 1 ton of tiber from 8 tons of {rreen leaves. The 

 nonfibrous part of the leaves, stripped from the fiber, has a lot of proteid 

 material in it and some sugar and starch. Cattle eat the cut-up leaves 

 greedily, and if the waste were dried it would probably make a good 

 cattle feed. When decayed it makes an excellent fertilizer. Analyses 

 liave shown a high percentage of potassium salts in the ash." 



1. " From plants cut two or three times." 



2. " From plants not previously cut." 



3. " From plants cut once only." (Poynion.) 



46389. Aphloia theaeformis (Vahl) Bennett. Flacoiirtiacea}. 



From Tamatave, Madagascar. Presented by the Envoi de la Station Ex- 

 perimentale d'Agr!culture du Government Ivoloina. Keceiyd Augiist S, 

 1918. 



A low tree found on the slopes of the mountains in Madagascar. The small 

 wliite berries, which literally cover the tree, are edible and very wholesome, 

 although slightly bitter. The leaves are said to possess medicinal virtues. 

 (Adapted from Heckel, Plantes Utiles de Madagascar, p. 256.) 



46390 ta 46456. 



From China. Collected by Mr. Franlv N. Meyer, Agricultural Kxpldrer for 

 the Department of Agriculture. Received August 12, 1918. 



" This is the last collection of plant material to be made by the late Frank 

 N. Meyer, our agricultural explorer, who was drowned in tlie Yangtze River 

 on June 1, 1918. The seeds were found in Mr. Meyer's baggage and forwarded 

 from Shanghai by the American consul. 



" In view of Mr. Meyer's usual practice of giving a careful description of every 

 seed and plant which he sent in, it seems appropriate to explain that the rea- 

 son these few last lots received nuist be publislied without notes is that Mr. 

 Meyer evidently had not had time since their collection to arrange the notes 

 to go with them. It is with the same sad reluctance which a traveler feels 

 when he leaves his comrade buried s'omewhere along the route and pushes on 

 that I write these few words regarding Mr. Meyer's last plant introductions 

 into America." (David Fairchild.) 



46390. Amerimnon sp. Fabaceas. 

 "Altitude 3,000 feet. Shrub 4 feet tall." 



46391. Amygdalus DAviDiANA (Carr.) Zabel. AmygdalaceiP, Peach.* 

 (Prunus davidiana Franch.) 



46392 and 46393. Amygdalus persica L. Amygdalacese. Peach. 



{Prunus persica Stokes.) 



" Chikungshan, Honan, China, August 7, 1917. Wild peaches. Altitude 

 about 2,000 feet." 



46394. Akalia sp. Araliacese. 



46395. Aralia sp. Araliacese. 



46396. Asparagus sp. Convallariacese. Asparagus. 



46397. Begonia sp. Begoniacese. Begonia. 



46398. Berberis sp. Berberidacese. Barberry. 



