54 SEEDS AND I'l.AXTS IMPORTED. 



41244 and 41245. Holcus sorghum L. Poacea?. Sorghum. 



{Sorghum vulgare Pers.) 

 From Pungo Andongo, Angola. Presented by Rev. John C. Wengatz, Home, 

 N. Y. Received September 25, L915. 



Two varieties of native sorghums. 



41244. " White Masambala or Kafir corn." 



41245. "White Masambala or Kafir corn." 



41246 to 41251. Hordeum spp. Poacese. Barley. 



From Petrograd, Russia. Presented by Mr. Robert Regel, chief, bureau of 

 Applied Botany. Received June 21, 1915. 



41246. Hordeum distichon nutans Schubl. 



41247. Hokdeum vulgare pallidum Seringe. 



41248 to 41251. Hordeum distichon nutans Schubl. 



41252 and 41253. Amygdalus spp. Amygdalacese. Peach. 



From Catania. Italy. Presented by Mr. Joseph Emerson Haven. American 

 consul. Received September 22, 1915. Quoted notes by Mr. Haven. 



" Seeds are planted in the month of January and the fruits may be expected 

 in three years in the months of July and August. The production in the Messina 

 section of this district is fairly large, as also in the Palermo consular district, 

 but very few peaches are grown in the immediate neighborhood of Catania." 



41252. Amygdalus persica L. 

 (Prunus persica Stokes.) 



" The rough skinned is the ordinary peach of commerce, a clingstone 

 and never very sweet. It is generally disappointing." 



41253. Amygdalus persica nectarina Ait. Nectarine. 

 " The smooth-skinned peach is found in considerable quantities. It is 



termed Sbergia in the Sicilian language, has an appearance of a golden 

 plum shot with crimson lines, and bears a close relation to the nectarine. 

 In size it is about the same as the crab apple and is a delicious fruit 

 when properly ripe." 



41254 and 41255. 



From Para, Brazil. Presented by Mr. George H. Pickerell, American 

 consul. Received September 9, 1915. 



41254. Obbignya speciosa (Mart.) Barb. Rodr. Phcenicaceae. 

 (Atlalcn speciosa Mart.) Uauassu. 



"Babassu or Uauassu." 



41255. Virola surinamensis (Hoi.) Warb. Myristicacese. 

 "Ucuuba, gathered at Tuyue mi the Purus River." 



" In spite of being represented by a much smaller number of species, the 

 Myristicaceae are more important as timbers than the Anuonacea?, espe- 

 cially the two commonest species of the Amazon, ucuuba branca (Virola 

 surinamensis Warb.) and ucuuba vermellia (Virola sebifera Aubl.). The 

 first, especially, is one of the most useful trees of the Amazon region, not 

 only for its easily worked wood, moderately hard, but also for its seeds, 

 which furnish a kind of vegetable wax rich in stearin. While the ucuuba 





