1319 



Rusa-oi! (lemon oil) procured from this grass, viz., 

 motia and sufia, which the distillers of Khandesh and the 

 neighboring districts recognize, apparently depends 

 on similar conditions, although the accounts concern- 

 ing them are to some extent conflicting. The authors 

 of the Pharmacographia Indica (vol. 3, p. 558) say: 

 "The oil distillers in Khandesh call the grass motiya 

 when the inflorescence is young and of a bluish white 

 color; after it has ripened and become red, it is 

 called sonfiya. The oil obtained from it in the first 

 condition has a more delicate odor than that obtained 

 from the ripened grass." On the other hand, Mr. E. G. 

 Fernandez reports in a letter to Kew: "The motia spe- 

 cies (or variety) is usually confined to the higher 

 slopes, while the sufia grass is more common in the 

 plains and on the plateau-land in the hills, but they 

 are not infrequently found growing together. The sufia 

 is much more strongly scented, but the odor of motia 

 is preferred, and this latter commands double the 

 price of the former." The samples of both forms sup- 

 plied by Mr. Fernandez do not show any morphological 

 differences, and as to age, some of the motia samples 

 are in a more advanced stage than the sufia. (Adapted 

 from Stapf, The Oil-grasses of India and Ceylon, in 

 the Kew Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, 1906, 

 p. 341.) 



Dendrocalamus gigantt'iis (Poaceae), 45963. Bamboo. 

 From near Kandy, Ceylon. Secured by Mr. George F. 

 Mitchell, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C. , at 

 the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. One of the largest 

 of the bamboos, growing to a height of 100 feet with 

 a stem diameter of 8 inches, the stem walls being one- 

 half of an inch thick. It is probably indigenous in 

 the hills of Martaban and is cultivated in Burma and 

 also in most tropical countries. The stems are used 

 for posts and rafters, and for piping water. (Adapted 

 from Brandis, Indian Trees, p. 678.) 



Dypsis madagascariensis (Phoenicaceae) , 45958. Palm. 

 From near Kandy, Ceylon. Secured by Mr. George F. 

 Mitchell, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., at 

 the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. A graceful Madagas- 

 car palm about 15 feet high, with leaves 10 feet long. 

 The pinnate leaves, with 18-inch long segments ar- 

 ranged in fascicles of 6 or 8, seem to be arranged on 

 the stem in threes, giving it a triangular appearance. 

 This arrangement of the leaves and the fascicled 



