OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1915. 37 



41483. Juniperus cedrus Webb. Pinacese. Teneriffe juniper. 



Seeds from Teneriffe, Canary Islands. Presented by Dr. George V. Perez. 

 Received November 17, 1915. " 



See S. P. I. No. 41463 for previous introduction and description. 



41484. Jubaeopsis caffra Beccari. Phcenicacea?. 



Pondoland coco. 

 Seeds from Johannesburg, Union of South Africa. Purchased from Mr. 

 J. Burtt Davy, botanist, Agricultural Supply Association. Received 

 September 21 and October 7, 1915. 



" I have just learned of the existence of a grove of wild coconut palms along 

 the coast some 70 miles south of Port Shepstone. This appears to be a new 

 species of coconut, adapted to warm temperate conditions ; the nuts are said to 

 be smaller than those of the typical Cocos nucifera. The fruits have the flavor 

 of coconut and are much prized by the Tondos, who traveled scores of miles to 

 collect and sell them. They are used as food, and, I am told, for oil." (Davy.) 



" Until quite recently only two genera of palms were known from South 

 Africa. A few years ago Mr. Charles Ross, then conservator of forests at 

 Umtata, reported the occurrence of another kind in Pondoland. This has now 

 been found to be the representative of a new genus named Jubaeopsis, from its 

 nearest ally, Jubaea, a monotypic genus of South America (Chili). The fruit of 

 Jubaeopsis differs from that of Cocos by the position of the germinating holes, 

 which in the latter genus are situated near the base of the nut, but in Jubaeopsis 

 near its equator. The endosperm is hollow, as in the coconut, and also of a 

 sweetish taste, but without milk. A tree up to 20 feet high, with leaves 12 to 15 

 feet long. The $ flowers are inserted on the upper parts of the branches of the 

 spadix and possess 8 to 16 stamens, the 9 flowers being on the lower parts. 

 The fruits are about the size of walnuts, but nearly globular, the fibrous peri- 

 carp being yellow when ripe. The palm occurs, as far as known, only at two 

 localities in Pondoland, viz., at the mouths of the Umsikaba and the Umtentu 

 Rivers, in both cases only on the northern bank and in close proximity to the 

 water. As this is, apart from the widely spread coconut palm, the only member 

 of the tribe which occurs in Africa, all the others being American, its dis- 

 covery throws some new light on the origin of the Cocoinere and the relation- 

 ship of our flora." (Marloth, Flora of South Africa, vol. 4, p. ^8.) 



41485 to 41488. 



From Orotina, Costa Rica. Presented by Mr. Carlos WercklS. Received 

 November 16, 1915. Quoted notes by Mr. Werckle. 

 41485. Licania platypus (Hernsl.) Fritsch. Rosaceae. Sansapote. 



" Seeds of the forest sansapote, which is the poorest and smallest 

 fruit of all four or five species of Licania; still the little meat it lias 

 is quite good. A splendid, very large forest tree, the timber of which 

 is considered nearly as valuable as Cedrela. I will try to graft the 

 Cotiepia on it." 

 41486 and 41487. Solanum sp. Solanacese. 



"Root cuttings of a very low-growing perennial herb, which makes a 

 single, vertical root like a yuca (manioc), which enters into the soil to 

 a great depth. I do not know whether it is edible or poisonous. The 

 soft herbaceous plant spreads over the ground at a height of a few 

 inches; the large, solitary, night-blooming flowers are a beautiful pure 

 white and have a very fine fragrance, which, however, is only noticeable 

 at a very short distance from the plant, though it is not mild." 



