1421 



The trees are 30 feet or more In height, and begin to 

 bear in the third or fourth year. The soft, fibrous, 

 outer covering of the fruit contains the thick, orange- 

 red palm-oil, and the inner hard part or palm nut con- 

 tains the palm kernel, a hard, white, nutty body which 

 yields about 50 per cent of palm-kernel oil. This palm- 

 kernel oil is used in making oleomargarine, cooking 

 oils, and also fine toilet soaps, while the palm oil 

 is used in the manufacture of cheaper soaps, candles, 

 lubricating oils, etc. Although there are now on the 

 market several machines which, it is claimed, are ca- 

 pable of dealing with the fruits in large quantities, 

 they have met with very little practical success. 

 Machinery will doubtless be invented in the next few 

 years which will meet all demands. (Adapted from 

 Commerce Reports, Oct. 2, 1915, Report on Palm and 

 Palm Oil Industry, Consul Wm. J. Yerby, Dakar, Senegal.) 



Hibiscus huegelii wrayae (Malvaceae), 47190. From 

 South Australia. Seeds presented by Mr. Edwin Ashby, 

 "Wittunga", Blackwood. "From the Gawler Ranges, South 

 Australia. A tall shrub, bearing large, mauve-colored 

 flowers. This is the handsomest of all the Australian 

 'Desert Roses. 1 " (Ashby.) 



Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae), 47119. Roselle. From 

 Florida. Presented by Mr. J. R. Fraser, Ramrod Key. 

 "In my experiments with roselle, I observed one plant that 

 seemed somewhat superior to the others, and after the 

 first picking, I let it mature its seed. The first 

 picking yielded 8 pounds of fruit (the usual yield is 

 about 4 pounds of fruit per plant) and the second pick- 

 ing yielded 10 pounds of fruit, a total of 18 pounds 

 per plant. The calyces on this plant were 2| inches 

 in length by 1| inches in diameter at the base." 

 (Fraser. ) 



Indigofera australis (Fabaceae), 47152. From Rich- 

 mond, Victoria, Australia. Seeds presented by Mr. F. 

 H. Baker. "Native indigo plant,- a beautiful shrub, 

 with violet flowers." (Baker.) 



An erect-branching shrub, 2 to 4 feet high, with 

 pinnately compound leaves. The nine to eleven leaf- 

 lets, about three-fourths of an inch long, vary from 

 nearly linear to almost orbicular, and the showy red 

 flowers are borne in dense racemes. (Adapted from 

 Bentham, Flora Australiensis , vol. 2, p. 199.) 



