250 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Heleocharis sphacelata, R. Brown. 



Australia, New Zealand and South-Sea Islands. This rush is 

 well deserving to be transferred to any swamps in warmer climes 

 on account of its nutritious and palatable tubers. 



Heleocharis tuberosa, Roemer and Schultes. 



China, where it is called Matai or Petsi. This rush can be sub- 

 jected to regular cultivation in ponds for the sake of its edible 

 wholesome tubers. For a full account see Paillieux et Bois in 

 Bullet, de la Soc. d'Acclimat. 1888 p. 1030-1035. H. plantaginea 

 (Brown) and H. fistulosa (Schultes) of tropical Asia and Madagascar 

 are allied plants. 



Helianthus animus, Linne.* 



The Sun-Flower. Peru. This tall, showy and large-flowered 

 annual is not without industrial importance. As much as fifty 

 bushels of seeds, or rather seed-like fruits, have been obtained from 

 an acre under very favorable circumstances, and as much as fifty 

 gallons of oil can be pressed from such a crop. The latter can be 

 used not only for machinery, but even as one of the best for the 

 table, also for superior toilet-soaps and for painting ; it belongs to 

 the series of drying oils. Otherwise the seeds afford an excellent 

 fodder for fowl ; they are also used for cakes, and afford a substi- 

 tute for coffee according to Professor Keller. The leaves serve for 

 fodder. The large flower-heads are important as yielding much 

 honey. The stalks furnish a good textile fibre, and the blossoms 

 yield a brilliant lasting yellow dye. For utilitarian purposes a large- 

 seeded variety is cultivated, particularly in Russia, where over 

 700,000 acres are devoted to this plant. About six pounds of seed 

 are required for an acre. The plant likes calcareous soil and plenty 

 of potash. Important also for quickly raising vegetation around 

 fever-morasses, the absorbing and exhaling power of this plant 

 being very large [Dr. v. Hamm]. A good plant, according to Lacop- 

 pidan, will exhale 1^ Ib. of water during a hot day. Several North- 

 American species may deserve rural culture. The return from a 

 Sunflower-field is attained within a few months. In Norway it can 

 be grown to lat. 70 4' [Schuebeler] ; yet it will, according to the 

 Rev. H. Kempe, also endure the excessive summer-heat of Central 

 Australia better than any other cultivated herb yet tried there. It 

 answers also cultural purposes quite well in the coast-regions of 

 Queensland [Edgar]. Even when unattended to, will yield in porous 

 soil crops for years. Might serve as green manure. 



Helianthus tuberosus, Linn<$.* 



Brazil. Sunflower- Artichoke, inappropriately passing under the 

 name " Jerusalem- Artichoke," instead of " Girasol- Artichoke." The 

 wild state, according to Professor Asa Gray, seems to be the North- 

 American H. doronicoides (Lamarck). The tubers are saccharine 



