56 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



in the central portion of the Province of Pinar del Rio. and they selected t^^e 

 very best plant in all the fields which they visited. That seed was brought 

 to the station and we have been keeping up selection of what we have consid- 

 ered to be the best plants, in order to propagate from them." (Calvmo.) 



48847 and 48848. 



From Dunedin, New Zealand. Purchased fn.m Nimmo & Blair. Ltd. Re- 

 ceived December 5, 1919. 



48847. Paspaxum kacemosum Lam. Poacefe. Grass. 

 "A native of tropical America. Best adapted to moist or alluvial soils 



of the South. Grows from a rootstock, with rather coarse, tender stems 

 and leaves, reaching a height of about 2 feet. Promising as a hay or 

 pasture grass." (C. V. Piper.) 



48848. Stipa elegantissima Labill. Poaceje. Grass. 

 "A native of Australia. Grows well in sandy soil. It has a plumelike 



spike 6 to 8 inches long, and is frequently used as an ornamental. The 

 leaves are too narrow and stiff to make it of much value for stock, and 

 its sharp-pointed seed with short, stiff reflesed hairs make it objection- 

 able on sheep ranges, where it sometimes works its waj' through the wool, 

 penetrates the .skin, and sometimes even invades the internal organs." 

 (C. V. Piper.) 



Received as S. pennata ; a misidentification. 



48849 to 48859. Holcus sorghum L. Poaceae. Sorghum. 



{Sorghum vulgar e Pers.) 



From Pretoria, Transvaal. Presented by Madame A. Dieterlen, through 

 Dr. H. L. Shantz, Agricultural Explorer of the Bureau of Plant Industry. 

 Received December 6, 1919. 



"(Nos. 125 to 133b. See-d from Leribe, Basutoland. Collected by Madame 

 A. Dieterlen, French missionary.) Heads from a collection in the National 

 Herbarium at Pretoria collected in Basutoland. A valuable collection accom- 

 panied by Basuto names of each variety, with Madame Dieterlen's numbers 

 in parentheses." {Shantz.) 



48849. "No. 125. (A. D. No. 641 g. Collected in 1909.) Called by the 

 natives lejakane; said to be degenerated Kafir corn. The word 

 ' hojaka ' means to leave one's country to go to another, or one's 

 faith to adopt another. It is a name of derision given by the Basutos 

 to those of their people who have adopted Christianity. They are 

 no longer true or pure Basutos. Thus this grain, when mixed with 

 other kinds, is no longer pure mahele (the generic name for Kafir 

 corn) but a lejakane." (Dieterlen.) 



48850. "No. 126. (A. D. No. 641b. Collected in 1908.) This variety is 

 called by the natives Letsoeyane." (Dieterlen.) 



48851. "No. 127. (A. D. No. 641a. Collected in 1908.) Generic native 

 name, mahele; this particular variety is called Kobo-Kholo, Kokobala, 

 or Seboeane." (Dieterlen.) 



48852. " No. 128. (A. D. No. 641b. Collected in 1908.) Called by the na- 

 tives Letsoeyane." (Dieterlen.) 



48S53. "No. 129. (A. D. No. 698.) Height 5 to 7 feet. Flowers sum- 

 mer to autumn. Cultivated by the Basutos. Native name ntsoe. The 

 sweet stem is chewed. A preparation of this and Erigeron canadense 



