•^O . SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



48631 and 48632— Continued. 



48631. Beta vulgaris maceocakpa (Guss.) Moq. 

 " Very abundant on salty, clayey soil." 



48632. Beta vtjlgaris perennis L. 



" Sinnach-beet. The leaves are used like spinach." 



48633. Elaeis GuiNEENSis Jacq. Phoenicacese. African oil palm. 



From Kamerun, West Africa. From Mr. Fred Hope, Ebolwoa. Received 

 November 19, 1919. 

 Variety poissonii. The distinguishing character of this form is the presence 

 around the fruit of a " collar " which consists of the persistent perianth having 

 become more accrescent and more fleshy than usual. Very little notice appears 

 to have been taken previously of the perianth at the time when the fruit was 

 mature, probably owing to its having been removed before the fruit was 

 brought into the market. The fruit is obovoid or subglobose, about 3 cm. long 

 (not including the beak, which is 1 cm. long), and somewhat constricted at 

 the base, not ventricose as in some varieties. The woody endocarp is about 

 3 mm. thick. The 6-parted perianth is thick and fleshy and almost incloses 

 the fruit. Its segments have a transverse thickening about 5 mm. from their 

 apices. According to an analysis made at the Imperial Institute it contains 

 "69.9 per cent of oil, equivalent to 14.8 per cent calculated on the whole fruit 

 or 78.2 per cent calculated on the dry pulpy covering." The ordinary pulp 

 adhering to the nuts of this form yields 27.2 per cent, of oil. (Adapted from 

 Keto Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, p. 93.) 



48634 to 48636. Lotus spp. Fabacea?. 



From Weraroa, New Zealand. Presented by Mr. E. Bruce Levy, biologist. 

 Central Development Farm. Received November 24 and 25, 1919. Quoted 

 notes by Mv. Levy. 



48634. Lotus corniculatus L. 

 " Bird's-foot trefoil." 



An excellent fodder, considered a valuable ingretlient in meadows and 

 pastures. Native to Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, and South 

 Australia. (Adapted from Maiden, Useful Native Plants of Australia, 

 p. m.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 18371. 



48635. Lotus uliginosus Schkuhr. 



" Greater bird's-foot trefoil." 



A pasture plant of agricultural importance, fairly largely used in New 

 Zealand, from 10 to 15 tons of seed being sown annually. This plant 

 prefers a wet or swampy habitat. The seed sold in December, 1918. at 

 about a dollar per pound. . It is saved for seed mainly in the Auckland 

 Province, but prior to the war the greater portion was imported, mainly 

 from Germany. This seed was exported from the latter country under 

 the name of Lotus vlllosus or L. uliginosus. which names are the European 

 trade names for the L. major of the New Zealand seed trade. Lotus 

 major is very variable with regard to certain characters, such as hairi- 

 ness, and in consequence several botanical names have been given to the 

 plant. There are apparently a good many different strains, but whether 

 these breed true from seed and are good agricultural species or whether 



