1419 



Abies mariesii (Pinaceae), 47198. Fir. From Taiwan. 

 Seeds presented by the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, 

 Mass. This differs from the type in having longer cy- 

 lindrical cones and black seeds. Abies mariesii is a tree, 

 40 to 50 (occasionally 80) feet high, of compact, pyra- 

 midal form; the young shoots are very densely covered 

 with red-brown down which persists several years. The 

 leaves, from one-third to an inch long and one-twelfth 

 of an inch wide, are dark shining green and deeply 

 grooved above, glaucous beneath with two broad bands 

 of stomata. The lower ranks spread horizontally, while 

 the upper shorter ones point forward and completely 

 hide the shoot. The egg-shaped cones, 3 to 4 inches 

 long and about 2 inches wide, are purple when young. 

 It is one of the rarest of the silver firs. (Adapted 

 from Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles , 

 vol. 1, p. 123. ) 



Annona muricata (Annonaceae ) , 47108. Soursop. From 

 Colombia. Presented by Mr. M. T. Dawe , San Lorenzo. 

 "The guanabana, or soursop, is one of the finest sherbet 

 fruits in existence. Its large, spiny, white-fleshed 

 fruits are too acid to be eaten out of hand, but the 

 juice can be sqeezed out and used to prepare a re- 

 freshing drink, a water ice, an ice cream, or the fa- 

 mous Habana 'champola' (a mixture of guanabana juice and 

 milk, sweetened to taste). While the tree is too tender 

 for any part of the United States except extreme south 

 Florida, it succeeds in nearly all tropical countries, 

 and should be more widely cultivated. When grown from 

 seed, however, the plants are very often shy bearers 

 and it will be necessary to select the most desirable 

 varieties and propagate them by budding and grafting 

 before guanabana culture can be commercially profitable. 

 It is worth while to test all the different strains of 

 this fruit which can be obtained, in order to find su- 

 perior ones worthy of vegetative propagation." (Popenoe.) 



Aristoloehia ringens (Aristolochiaceae) , 47118. Gallito. 

 From Panama. Presented by Mr. G. F. Dietz, Las Sabanas. 

 "Seeds of a vine from Jamaica called Gallito." (Dietz.) 



A tall, slender, twining, glabrous plant with 

 broadly orbicular-renlf orm leaves dull pale green above 

 and glaucous below. The flowers are from 7 to 10 inches 

 long, marbled and reticulated with black-purple. It 

 is found in Venezuela and in the West Indies. (Adapted 

 from Curtis's Botanical Magazine, pi. 5700.) 



