JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1916. 67 



42201. Platan us oriextai/ts L. Platanacese. Oriental plane tree. 



Presented by Mr. G. S. Miller, of the National Museum, through Mr. 

 Frederick V. Coville, of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Received March 

 23, 1916. 

 " Seeds received from Dr. W. 1,. Abbott, of Philadelphia. Dr. Abbott states 

 that they are from Kashmir, that the tree is a valuable shade tree of very rapid 

 growth, handsome form, and enormous size, and that the seeds should be 

 planted immediately. The Kashmir name is chenar. Dr. Abbott also states 

 that the tree is not a native of Kashmir, hut was brought from Persia." 

 ( Coville. ) 

 See S. P. I. No. 42179 tor previous introduction. 



42202 to 42204. 



Collected by Dr. David Griffiths, of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Re- 

 ceived January 19, 1916. Notes by Dr. Griffiths. 



42202. Chieopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet. Bignoniaceae. 

 (Chilopsis saligna D. Don.) 



"From the Santa Rita Mountains, Ariz. (No. 1099 DG.. October 

 12, 1915.) This is a small willowlike tree inhabiting desert washes 

 from Texas to California. It is very showy when in blossom, the flowers 

 being purplish tinged and resembling those of a miniature catalpa. In 

 nature its habit is quite open and lax, but it stands pruning and can 

 easily be shaped as desired. The seed can probably be planted in the 

 open in a situation where there is good drainage and where moisture 

 conditions can be controlled when the hot, dry season arrives." 



42203. Dasylikion wheeeeki S. Wats. Liliacese. Sotol. 



"The sotol is on the whole a rather stiff, formal plant of the yucca 

 family. It has a short, thick trunk and long, narrow, Hat, spiny-edged, 

 gracefully drooping leaves, very different in this respect from the stiff. 

 rigid century plants, which are not distant relatives. It does not sucker 

 like the century plants, neither does the plant die when it has thrown 

 up a flower stalk, thus leaving an ugly break in the planting. Its 

 flower stalks are immense. They often reach a height of 8 or 10 feet, 

 the myriads of small flowers occupying a solid spindle-shaped space 4 lid 

 in length. The plant itself, with its glabrous graceful loaves, is hand- 

 some, but it is strikingly attractive from early blossoming until late 

 winter after the mass of seed has fallen. The solids are mosl attractive 

 as specimen plants. In Mexico the leaves are stripped of their curved 

 teeth by being pulled through a slit cut in a piece of tin and then woven 

 into durable floor coverings, the ones we have seen lasting in good condi- 

 tion for two years under ordinary wear. The usual practice is for the 

 weaver to enter the house with an armful of the leaves suitably stained 

 and beginning in one corner of the room weave a mat to fit the floor, 

 composing the design as he proceeds. The price is usually about 40 

 cents (Mexican money) per meter. From the stems of the plant, particu- 

 larly in the State of Chihuahua, is manufactured one of the most violent 

 of intoxicating distillates. In times of excessive drought the plants are 

 cut down and the stems chopped up as feed for live stock. I believe 

 that the seed of this planted where drainage is good and where moisture 

 conditions can he controlled can be brought through in the open." 



