APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1916. 15 



42444 to 42448— Continued. 



42445. Mesembryanthemum bicolor L. 



Shrub 2 to 3 feet high, having straight, upright, stiff twigs with grayish 

 brown bark. Leaves on the long shoots scattered, only clustered on the 

 short shoots, about as long as the internodes. Flowers in twos, or only 

 one. about 3£ cm. broad, yellow within and crimson on the outside. A 

 native of Cape Colony on the sandy plains near Cape Town. (Adapted 

 from Alwyn Ber get's Mesembrianthemen, p. 152.) 



4,244,6. Mesembbyanthemum floribundum Haw. Ice plant. 



A succulent plant, tortuous in growth, with branches not over 6 inches 

 long, and more or less decumbent; leaves less than 1 inch long, very 

 narrow, terete, curved, obtuse, a little thicker toward the apex; stems 

 and leaves bearing glittering papilla? ; stems bristly ; flowers small, rose 

 colored, the petals being twice as long as the calyx. (Adapted from 

 Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 4, p. 20^3.) 



42447. Mesembbyanthemum pugioniforme L. 



Stems upright, 15 to 30 cm. long and 1 to 2 cm. in diameter, simple, 

 rarely branched, with rough brownish green bark. Leaves in thick tufted 

 rosettes-, standing upright and incurved, the older bent back, 15 to 20 cm. 

 long, linear, sword shaped, long pointed. Flowering stems rising later- 

 ally from the leafy rosettes, soon dying, distinctly leaved, one to three 

 flowers. Flowers up to 7 cm. broad, open in the afternoon, malodorous. 

 Native to Cape Colony. (Adapted from Alwyn Berger's Mesembrian- 

 themen, p. 217.) 



42448. Mesembbyanthemum spectabile Haw. 



A succulent plant with prostrate stems but ascending branches ; leaves 

 2 to 3 inches long, crowded, glaucous, incurved and spreading, triquetrous 

 with equal sides, attenuate and mucronate; flowers purplish, petals 1 inch 

 long, the inner ones somewhat shorter. Grows on dry, barren, rocky 

 places and dry sandy plains. Native to Cape Colony regions. (Adapted 

 from Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. J,, p. 2042.) 



42449. Spiraea wilsoni Duthie. Rosacea?. 



From Jamaica Plain, Mass. Cuttings presented by the Arnold Arboretum. 

 Received April 5, 1916. 



"Spiraea wilsoni is closely allied to, perhaps only a variety of, <S. h-cnriii. It 

 is distinguished, among other points, by its smooth ovary and smooth or slightly 

 silky flower stalks. Leaves of flowering shoots entire, downy above, duller 

 green." (W. J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, vol. 2, p. 

 535.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 37611. 



42450. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. Araceae. Taro. 



From Glen wood, Hawaii. Tubers presented by .Mr. J. B. Thompson, super- 

 intendent, Glen wood substation. Received April 11, 1916. 

 "Kuolw. An upland taro. This variety was grown quite commonly around 

 Hilo at the time of my visit to Hawaii in 1913 and was considered to be one of 

 the best. The corms and tubers are very acrid in the raw state and require 

 longer cooking to destroy the acridity than is necessary to cook them to a soft, 

 mealy condition. The quality is good when the taro is thoroughly cooked." 

 (R. A. Young.) 



