975 



Chilopsis liuearis (Cav. ) Sweet. (Blgnoniaceae . ) 42202. 

 Seeds from the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. Collected by 

 Dr. David Griffiths. "This is a willow-like small tree in- 

 habiting 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 prun- 

 ing and can easily be shaped as desired. The seed can prob- 

 ably be planted in the open in a situation where there is 

 good drainage and where moisture conditions can be con- 

 trolled when the hot, dry season arrives." (Griffiths.) 



Cornus bretschneideri Henry. (Cornaceae.) 42188. Seeds 

 from Kew, England. Presented by Sir David Prain, Director, 

 Royal Botanic Gardens. A Chinese Cornus, with the young 

 wood blood red, which succeeds well as far north as Roch- 

 ester, New York. The flowers in dense cymes and fruit black. 



Cymbopetalum penduliflorum (Dun. ) Bail Ion. (Annona- 

 ceae.) 42047. Seeds from Guatemala. Presented by Mr. Stuart 

 K. Lupton, American Consul, Guatemala City. "Sacred ear 

 flower, or orejuela, as it is locally known. These petals 

 and seeds were obtained through the kindness of Mr. R. S. 

 Anderson, an American resident in Coban, Guatemala." (Lup- 

 ton.) See article by Mr'. W. E. Safford on this plant, 

 Smithsonian Report 1910, p. 427-431. 



Dasylirion wheeleri S. Wats. (Liliaceae.) 42203. Sotol 

 seed collected by Dr. David Griffiths. "The sotol is on 

 the whole a rather stiff, formal plant of the yucca family. 

 It has a short, thick trunk, long, narrow, flat, 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 feet in length. The plant 

 itself, with its glaucous graceful leaves, is handsome, but 

 it is strikingly attractive from early blossoming until 

 late winter after the mass of seed has fallen. They are 

 most 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 a durable 

 floor covering, the ones which I have seen lasting in good 

 condition for a couple of years under ordinary wear. The 

 usual practice is for the weaver to enter the house with 

 an armful of the leaves suitably stained, begin in one 

 corner of the room and weave a mat to fit the floor,- com- 

 posing the design as he proceeds. The price is usually 



