910 



bryos one to five in number. Most of the specimens ex- 

 amined were polyembryonic . Seems worthy of trial in south 

 Florida. The tree fruits well in this region. " (Popenoe ,) 



Moringa oleifera Lamarck. (Moringaceae . ) 40913. Seeds 

 from Cuba. Collected by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, of this Bu- 

 reau. "Palo bianco. A small ornamental tree -which is 

 planted in the gardens of the region. As commonly seen 

 here it is a tree of about 15 or 20 feet in height, erect, 

 and of very attractive appearance. The leaves are pin- 

 nately compound, often nearly a foot in length, of pleas- 

 ing light green color, with opposite, shortly petiolulate 

 obovate-elliptic leaflets rarely over half an inch long. 

 The flowers are borne on axillary panicles six to eight 

 inches long, they are white, about an inch long, and faint- 

 ly fragrant. As they are produced in great abundance they 

 make the tree effective as an ornamental. The slender 

 triangular seed pods are often a foot in length; when ripe 

 they dehisce and scatter the ground with seeds. Palo bianco 

 is considered to be an antidote for manchineel (Hippomane 

 mancinella) poisoning. As an ornamental it seems worthy of 

 trial in south Florida and possibly also in southern Cal- 

 ifornia, in regions protected from severe frosts." (Pop- 

 enoe . ) 



Persea americana Miller. (Lauraceae.) From Cuba. Bud- 

 wood collected by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, of this Bureau. 40912. 

 "Jovellanos, Matanzas Province. Luisa avocado. The parent 

 tree of this variety is growing in the garden at the Casa 

 Vivienda, on the Nueva Luisa sugar estate. It is a large 

 seedling, apparently 25 years old at least. Its particular 

 value lies in the fact that the fruit is said to ripen in 

 October, after nearly all the avocados are gone. The 

 fruits, which are only about three inches long at present, 

 are broadly obovate in form, with no indication of a neck, 

 the skin light green when ripe and very thick. Judging 

 from the immature fruit, the seed cavity is not large and 

 the seed fits in it snugly. According to the gardener who 

 was in charge of the place, the fruit is of excellent 

 quality, with a rich flavor and no fiber. The tree, which 

 stands among a lot of others beside a small stream which 

 trickles through the garden, is bearing a good crop of 

 fruit. The only late avocado at present grown commercial- 

 ly in south Florida is the Trapp . It seems worth while to 

 try out other varieties which ripen late in the season, 

 and Luisa has been obtained with this view. The season is 

 earlier here than in Florida, generally speaking, and an 

 avocado which ripens here in October may hang on the tree 



