APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1919. 15 



47396. Tripsacum i,axum Nash. Poaceae. Guatemala grass. 



From Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala. Presented by Kensett Champney & Co., 

 Finca Sepacuite. Received May 2, 1919. 



" Introduced originally from Guatemala by Mr. G. N. Collins who states that 

 it grows wild rather extensively in the vicinity of Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala, 

 and is known to the natives as pal. No use is made of it by the native.s. 



" Guatemala grass has grown very luxuriantly at Miami, Fla., for the past 

 three years. The canes become an inch or more in diameter and grow to a 

 height of about 12 feet. The nodes are numerous and the texture of the steins 

 rather soft and juicy with a soniewhat mucilaginous sweetish sap. The leaves 

 are from 2 to .'i inches broad and are rather strongly armed on the margins 

 with minute sliarp teeth. Tliese teeth are the only objectionable feature to the 

 grass, as if carelessly handled the leaves will cut the hands. The grass looks 

 exceedingly promising for either silage or for green feed. At Miami canes are 

 often left over Avinter and have fiillen down and become procumbenr, and the.se 

 canes have produced flowers in abundance b\it no good seed. Therefore all dis- 

 tributions of the grass made thus far have of necessity been of pieces Of tlie 

 cane, from which the grass grows very readily." (C. V. Piper. ) 



An illustration of this grass as it grows at Miami, Fla., is shown in Plate I. 



47397. GossYPiuM sp. MalvacejB. Cotton. 



From Algiers Algeria. Presented by r>r. Jj. Trabut. Ileceivod April 12, 



1919. 



" I have received from a correspondent at Djibouti a cotton which he has 



selected and which he characterizes as ' Cotou Gabod,' obtained at Djibouti, 



at Din Davona. It is satisfied with an annual rainfall of 300 nnu. in a very hot 



country, in siliceous-argiUaceous soil ; not irrigated for two years." (Trnhut.) 



47398 and 47399. Dioscorea alata L. Dioscoreaceae. Yam. 



From St. Lucia, Brtish West Indies. Tubers presented by Mr. Samuel 

 Rosen, New York. Received April 12, 1919. Quoted notes by Mr. R. A. 

 Young. 



47398. "A white-fleshed yam of medium size. It is quite moist \vhen 

 cooked, but makes an excellent dish when mashed and beaten thor- 

 oughly." 



47390. "A medium-sized yam of good quality, with yellowi.sh flesh." 



47400. Schrakkta sp. Mimosacese. 



From Bahia. Brazil. Presented by Dr. V. A. ArgoUo Ferrao. Received 



April 12, 1919. 



"A kind of sensitive plant that forms a small bush and appears to make a 



forage crop as well as a green manure. Mules and cattle are fond of it. This 



seed was collected from plants growing in an orchard on argillaceous soil." 



{ArgoUo Ferrao.) 



47401 and 47402. 



From Cairo. Egyjit. Presented by Mr. F. G. Walsingham, Horticultural 

 Section, Gizeh Branch, ]Ministry of Agriculture. Received April 15, 1919, 

 47401. Cesteum pakqui L'Her. Solanaceae. 



A semihardy, nearly glabrous shrub, native to Chile. The leaves are 

 lanceolate to oblong and the long tubular flowers are sessile in open 

 panicles, greenish yellow, and very fragrant at night. It is much 



