jiJ Field Museum or Natural History — Reports, Vol. V. 



subtropical pirdcn wms A scrubby tree of the Strychnine family, Strych- 

 nos sfnnosus, with large green or >'cllow fruit supcr6cixJly resembling a 

 grapefruit, but %«-ith a hard shell and chocolate colored pulp o( pleaaant 

 taste and a clove like fr -. A flowering and fniiting branch of this 



has also been added to tu'j cAxiibiUi. One of the main lines of investig»> 

 tion and experimental culture pursued at the garden concerns Avocadoet, 

 or Alligator Pears. Numerous varieties from diverse localities are 

 Ix'iiiK tried out here, with a view to the introduction into Florida of 

 th«>sc found most suitable and valuable for general cultivation. Three 

 thoroughly well-defined tv'pes, a Guatemalan, a Mexican and a West 

 Indian, together \n-ith a Guatemalan-Mexican hybrid, were considered 

 of sufl^icient public interest to be added to the collection. Of these 

 rrjm xluctions were made. A number of other plants especially desired 

 !>y the IX'partment for its exhibits were collected and cast or modded in 

 p.^rt during the period in Miami. Such arc the Seven-year Apple 

 (i'asasia), Pandanus, the Screw-pine, in flower; Casuarina Australian 

 Pine or Beef-wood tree. Long staple Cotton, Water Hyacinth, etc 

 A pitcher-plant of the southern large-leaved, yellow flowered species, 

 Sarrcucnia fiavOf was collected on the return to Chicago in the latter part 

 of May. A single pitcher of this plant, measuring 38 inches, has since 

 been reproduced and placed on exhibition. Some tubers and plants 

 which were brought back in a living condition arc being grown for the 

 Mu5cum by the Garfield Park grecnhotise. Among these are a large 

 Yam, a Zamia, etc. A Spider Lily {l{ymenocaUii caribcta) from Florida, 

 grown at Garfield Park, has been reproduced as a type of Amaryllid lily. 

 Within the last few months a Banana plant (a flowering and fruiting 

 specimen) has been reproduced complete and has been installed tempora- 

 rily on the gallery. Also a sprouted Cocoanut showing the relation of 

 the seedling plant to the seed and old husk; a Cocoanut flower enlarged ; 

 the flowers of Casuarina enlarged; enlarged flowers of Scrophularuj: 

 enlarged flowers of Sagitkiria; a branch of a Quince from Fort Valley, 

 Georgia; a witches '-broom on the Sand pine; a mounted dry specimen of 

 air plant (Tillandsia) ; a reproduction of the Natal Plum, a branch with 

 fruits and flowers. A set of tomatoes, parasitized by the different fungi 

 tlvat constitute the main pests of this industry, were obtained at the 

 Miami Laboratory, where this matter was being investigated, and were 

 reproduced for the economic collections. At the same time pure cultures 

 of the fungi in question were furnished by the plant-pathologist, and it 

 U the intention of the Department to exhibit in connection with the 

 affected fruit a model of each fungus si:"^' '1y enlarged to make its 

 structure plain to the naked eye. A kxi^iiuuinal section of a common 

 Fig enlarged, together with a c or res pondin g modd of the male fig, or 



