OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1914. 17 



39357 and 39358— Continued. 



39358. Axxoxa purpurea Mog. and Sesse. Annonacefe. 



"This species has large aromatic fruit, velvety on The outside, with 

 raised hooked tubercles; yellow aromatic pulp which is edible when ripe, 

 but said to be unwholesome if eaten to excess. A medium-sized forest 

 tree ranging from Mexico to Panama and Venezuela." (W. E.~ Safford.) 



39359 and 39360. 



From Bogota. Colombia. Presented by Mr. Roberto Ancizar, secretary to 

 the Colombian Legation, through Mr. W. E. Safford, of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. Received October 29, 1914. 



39359. Axxoxa cherimola Miller. Annonacese. Cherimoya. 

 "One of the most delicious of the fruits of the higher regions of 



western South America ; this variety is juicy and of a sweet acidulous 

 flavor. Seeds relatively small in proportion to the pulp. Suitable for 

 cultivation in the foothills of southern California."' (Safford.) 



39360. Passifloka ligularis Juss. Passifloracese. Granadilla. 

 "An egg-shaped fruit with parchmentlike shell filled with an abun- 

 dance of sweet juice and many small seeds. Used in tropical America for 

 making sherbets and ices alone or with the addition of lemon juice or 

 spices. Of easy culture in all warm localities, growing in the form 

 of a vine from trellises and arbors, and desirable not only for its fruit 

 but for its beautiful flowers." (W. E. Safford.) 



39361. Abutilon theopiirasti Medic Malvaceae. Ch'ingma. 



(Abutilon avicennae Gaertn.) 



Grown at Arlington Farm from seed received from Mr. R. A. Currie, 

 Ichang, China, through Mr. A. H. Sugden, acting commissioner of cus- 

 toms, Hankow, China. 



" Seeds of what purports to lie ta ma. The capsules look to me small, 

 and I am nearly sure that I have seen much larger ones, and I fear that these 

 may be only the common hemp." (Currie.) 



"The seeds from China are evidently those of the ch'ingma (Abutilon theo- 

 phrasti), producing the so-called China jute or Tientsin fiber of commerce. 

 Ch'ingma is cultivated from central China northward. Its liber is stronger but 

 somewhat harsher than that of India jute. It is used in this country to a 

 limited extent, chiefly in the manufacture of jute carpets and rugs. The plant 

 is adapted to the climate from Virginia to New York and westward to the Mis- 

 souri Valley. It may be regarded as a promising fiber planl for introduction 

 into this country, provided suitable methods can be devised for extracting the 

 fiber and preparing it for market. We planted some of the seeds at Arlington 

 Farm and secured 16 excellent plants about 3 meters high. The plants 

 and also the leaves, flowers, and fruits were nearly twice the size of those 

 of the ordinary velvet leaf planted at the same time, but otherwise no distinct 

 difference has been detected between the two forms. We have harvested a 

 quantity of seed from the plants this season, so as to have stock for sowing next 

 year." (L. H. Deicey.) 



74545°— 17 2 



