JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1915. 27 



40987 and 40988— Continued. 



half an inch in diameter, are borne in broad, flal-topped corymbs some- 

 times a foot across. The oblong-obovate fruits are half an inch in length 

 and pearly white \ hen ripe, inclosing a single large seed. It is appar- 

 ently a good melliferous plant and of considerable ornamental value. For 

 trial in southern Florida and southern California." (Popenoe.) 



40989. Saccharum ciliare Anderss. Poaceae. Elephant grass. 

 From St. Kitts, British West Indies. Presented by Mr. F. R. Shepherd, 



curator, Botanic Station. Received July 22, 1915. 

 " It is the sara of the classic authors of India and is met with throughout the 

 plains and lower hills and distributed to China. In the Punjab it often covers 

 large tracts of country and is frequently planted in lines or dividing hedges, 

 especially in low-lying localities subject to periodic inundation. Sir William 

 Jones says: 'This beautiful and superb grass is highly celebrated in the 

 Puranas, the Indian god of war having been born in a grove of it, which burst 

 into flame; the gods gave notice of his birth to the nymph of the Pleiads, who 

 descended and suckled the child ; thence named Carticeya. The edsd ( kdsd or 

 kdns) vulgarly casta (S. spontaneum) has a shorter culm, leaves much nar- 

 rower, longer and thicker hairs, but a smaller panicle, less compounded, without 

 the purplish tints of the sara; it is often described with praise by the Hindu 

 poets for the whiteness of its blossoms, which give a large plain, at some distance, 

 the appearance of a broad river. Both plants are extremely useful to the Indians. 

 who harden the internodal parts of the culms and cut them into implements for 

 writing on their polished paper. From the munj, or culm, of the sara was made 

 the mauriji, or holy thread, ordained by Menu to form the sacerdotal girdle, in 

 preference even to the cusa grass.' Munj fiber is obtained from the leaf 

 sheaths; the blades are the sar or sara used in thatching houses and as a paper 

 material; the contained flowering stem is the bind or rind: the panicle or 

 flowering stem is the sirki, til, or thili, used in thatching boats, carts, etc.; 

 sentha or kana is the lower, stronger portions of the flowering stem, used in 

 the manufacture of chairs, stools, tables, baskets, and screens; and tUak, tilon, 

 or ghua are names that denote the flowers. Some of these names, such as 

 munj and sara, have been supposed to denote the products of different species, 

 instead of different parts of one and the same plant; hence lias originated much 

 of the confusion that prevails. Sara is used in paper making and munj as a 

 textile fiber. The much-prized munj is strong, elastic, and has a wonderful 

 power of enduring moisture without decaying.. It is extensively employed in 

 the manufacture of cordage, ropes, the famed Delhi mats, and in the preparation 

 of baskets, etc. Munj mats are reported to be proof against white aids, but are 

 hard on shoe leather, harsh to the foot, and fatiguing when walked on for any 

 length of time. These are largely produced in Allahabad, Agra, Delhi, and are 

 traded in all over India, and within recent years have begun to find their way to 

 Europe. In the early spring the old grass is often fired, when shortly after a 

 crop of young leaves is produced from the stools, which is much valued as 

 fodder." (Watt, Commercial Products of India, p. 929 9S0.) 



40990. Passiflora ediilis Sims. Passifloraceae. Passion fruit. 



From Garrawin, Mangrove Mountain, via Gosford, Sydney. Australia. 

 Presented by Mr. J. Harrison. Received July 28, L915 



" Seeds of our commercial variety of P. edulis, of which we in this district are 

 the principal growers." (Harrison.) 



