978 



anis, which is only a form of the common bean, perhaps the 

 typical form from which the beans arose. But if it is bo- 

 tanically only a form, from the agricultural point of 

 it is more than a variety. This bean has been cultivated 

 by the Guaranis certainly since a remote antiquity, 

 most notable peculiarity of this variety is its enormous 

 growth. It has a long shoot which grows to 15 or 20 meters 

 so that in a wood it climbs to the tops of high trees. Cul- 

 tivated without branching it develops less, but yet pro- 

 duces abundantly, the production keeping step with the de- 

 velopment, so that a well developed plant will produce up 

 to 10 kilos of clean seed." (Bertoni, Agronomia, vol. 5, 

 p. 326-327, 1913.) 



Pittas porum fairchildi Cheeseman. (Pittosporaceae . ) 42177. 

 Seeds from Auckland, New Zealand. Presented by Mr. H. R. 

 Wright, Avondale Nursery. "This variety bears a striking 

 resemblance to P. crassifolium (S.P.I. No. 41290), but is 

 the more dense of the two, consequently better. It ripens 

 its seed several months later; makes a splendid hedge and 

 good also as a shrub tree, height about 20 feet. This va- 

 riety was discovered by the late Captain Pairchild, on an 

 island off the New Zealand coast. The seeds take a long 

 time to germinate, and forcing them is of no use. Plants 

 are tender when young but hardy when established . " (Wright.) 



Prunus bokliariensis Royle. (Amygdalaceae . ) 42057. Seeds 

 from Simla, Punjab, India. Presented by Mr. E. Long, Sup- 

 erintendent, Vice-Regal Gardens. The Alucha, Aru Bokhara 

 or Annandale plum. Somewhat resembles Prunus triflora, but 

 is believed to be a distinct species, and appears to be of 

 much value in breeding work. 



Puya chilensis Molina. (Bromeliaceae . ) 42082. Seeds 

 from Lima, Peru. Presented by Dr. A. Weberbauer. "One of 

 the most interesting plants of the Peruvian Cordilleras. 

 I collected the seed at Capaya, Department of Apurimac, 

 Province of Aymaraes, at an elevation of 4,000 to 4,100 

 meters above sea level, in a region where frosts and snow- 

 fall are abundant. The plants need not therefore perhaps 

 be cultivated in a greenhouse, but require only protection 

 against sharp frosts and must naturally receive much light. 

 In the vicinity of Capaya the plant is called titanca,. Here- 

 tofore I have known this plant only from the Cordilleras 

 between 9 and 10 S. and have described and figured it in 

 my book, Die Pflanzenwelt der Peruanischen Anden." (Weber- 

 bauer.) "This is one of the most striking of our Bromeli- 

 aceous plants, cultivated in a cool stove of the Royal 

 Gardens of Kew. The stem, or caudex, has now attained a 

 height of four feet, independent of the leaves, which are 

 from three to four feet in length, spreading in all direc- 



