1148 



planted yam from the sun, and soil is thrown on to 

 prevent the wind blowing the grass away. The vines 

 are supported by stout sticks or of ten by broken corn- 

 stalks. Yams require about 6 months to mature, those 

 planted in January being ready for digging in July. 

 Yams may be left in the ground for a week or two after 

 the vines have died down. (Adapted from note by Green.) 



Drimys granatensis Mutis. (Magnoliaceae. ) 44701. 

 Seeds from Bogota, Colombia. Presented by Mr. M. T. 

 Dawe, Director, Estacion Agronomica, San Lorenzo, To- 

 lima, Colombia. A white-flowered evergreen shrub, 5 

 to 12 feet in height; with few branches, and oval- 

 oblong leathery leaves with rounded ends. The few- 

 flowered umbels appear near the ends of the branches, 

 and the obovate fruit is berry-like, ^ inch long, with 

 succulent flesh enclosing the numerous seeds. From 

 the crushed leaves a tonic is prepared, the bark is 

 the basis of an aromatic tonic, and the dried fruits 

 are used as a spice. (Adapted from M. A. de Saint- 

 Hilaire, Plantes Usuelles des Brasiliens, plates 26- 

 28, 1824.) 



Docynia delavayi (Pranch. ) Schneider. (Malaceae.) 

 44677. Seeds from Yunnanfu, Yunnan, China. Purchased 

 from Mr. Frank Pilson. An ornamental evergreen, spiny 

 tree, up to 30 feet in height; with glossy, ovate- 

 lanceolate leaves, 2 to 4 inches long; and umbels of 

 white flowers which appear in the spring. The fruit 

 is an ovoid pome about an inch long. The tree is a 

 native of southwestern China, and has recently been 

 introduced into the United States. The fruits are 

 more or less acid and are used for cooking. They could 

 possibly be improved by selection and hybridization. 

 The tree is propagated by seeds, and might possibly 

 be grafted on apple stock. (Adapted from Bailey, 

 Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 2, p. 1063.) 



Eleoeharis tuberosa (Roxb.) Schultes. (Cyperaceae . ) 

 44573. Tubers from Yokohama, Japan. Purchased from 

 the Yokohama Nursery Company. They are mostly eaten 

 raw, but are also sliced and shredded in soups, and 

 in meat and fish dishes. Foreigners in China grate 

 them and serve them as a winter vegetable, in which 

 state they resemble sweet corn very much in looks and 

 taste. The plants need a hot summer to mature and are 

 grown on a muck or clayey soil with several inches of 

 standing water on top, very much in the same manner 



