Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 453 



vidiiig human sustenance from this grateful corn. It dislikes moist 

 ground. Sandy soil gives the best grain. It is a very remarkable 

 fact, that for ages in some tracts of Europe rye has been prolifically 

 cultivated from year to year without interruption. In this respect 

 rye stands favorably alone among alimentary plants. It also 

 furnishes in cold countries the earliest green fodder, and the return 

 is large ; but in properly choosing the season it can be brought to 

 mature even in Central Australia [Rev. H. Kempe]. Dr. Sender 

 observed in cultivated turf -heaths with much humus, that the 

 spikelets produce three or even four fertile florets, and thus each 

 spike will yield as many as eighty beautiful seeds. Langethal 

 recommends for argillaceous soils a mixture of early varieties of 

 wheat and rye, the united crops furnishing grain for excellent bread. 

 When the rye-grains get attacked by Cordyceps purpurea (Fries) 

 or similar species of f ungs, it becomes dangerously unwholesome ; 

 but then also a verj important medicinal substance namely Ergot 

 is obtained. The biennial Wallachian variety of rye can be 

 mown or depastured prior to the season of its forming grain. In 

 Alpine regions Wallachian rye is sown with pine seeds, for shelter 

 of the pine seedlings in the first year. Bye-grain is also extensively 

 used for the distillation of gin. Bye-straw serves as paper- 

 material. 



Sechium eclule. Swartz. 



Central America. The Chocho or Chayota. The large starchy 

 root of this climber can be consumed as a culinary vegetable, while 

 the good-sized fruits are also edible. The fruit often germinates 

 before it drops. The plant bears even in the first year, and may 

 ripen one hundred fruits in a year. Cultivated in Jamaica up to 

 5,000 feet [W. Fawcett]. It comes to perfection in the warmer 

 parts of the temperate zone. Bore fruit in the Botanic Gardens of 

 Melbourne many years ago. 



Selag-o leptostachya, E. Meyer. 



South-Africa. There an excellent bush for sheep-pastures in the 

 Karro- grounds, reproduced spontaneously with great readiness from 

 dropping seeds, and maintaining itself also by the running stems. 

 It is the " Waterfinder " of the Orange-river regions, indicating 

 generally humidity beneath the ground [McOwan]. 



Selinum anesorrzhium, F. v. Mueller. (Anesorrhiza Capensis, Ckamisso 

 and Schlechtendal.) 



South- Africa. The root of this biennial herb is edible. A. mon- 

 tana (Ecklon and Zeyher), a closely allied plant, yields likewise an 

 edible root ; and so it is with a few other species of the section 

 Anesorrhiza. 



