Prom tbe above it is seen that coffee is much the most 

 important crop of the island ; that sugar cane is of much 

 less relative importance than in Cuba, and that tobacco, 

 which is one of the leading crops of Cuba, is here of 

 trifling importance. 



To illustrate the tenure of land under different crops 

 and the race of the occupant, the following table is pre- 

 sented, showing, for different tenures and races in per- 

 centages, the proportion which was planted in each of 

 the different crops above enumerated: 



White 



Colored Colored 



Rice 



Sweet potatoes. 

 Malangas 



0th- 



It is seen from the above table that of the cultivated 

 area owned by whites 47 per cent, or nearly half, was 

 planted in coffee. Bananas occupied 15 per cent, and 

 sugar cane 14 percent. Of the area rented by whites, 

 on the contrary, 47 per cent was planted in sugar cane 

 and but 18 per cent in coffee. This distribution of crops 

 among the areas owned by negroes was wider, coffee 

 occupying nearly one-third of the area, while sugar 

 cane, the second most important crop in the island, 

 occupied only 2 per cent. Among colored renters the 

 areas were also widely scattered. 



POETULACA (Latin name, of uncertain history). 

 Portulacdcuw. Purslane. Low, fleshy, often trailmg. 

 annual or perennial herbs, of perhaps 20 species, in 

 tropical and temperate regions, mostly American. Lvs 

 mostly alternate, thick, sometimes terete, entire : fls 

 mostly terminal, usually with 5 distinct petals and with 

 several to many stamens, both borne on the calyx oi 

 receptacle-rim:" fr. a small, conical, circurascissile cap 

 sule (Fig. 1917), containing many small seeds. The 

 flowers of Portulaca open in direct sunshine, but cIom 

 in shadow. Two annual species are in cultivation, both 

 thriving in the hottest exposures. 



grandifiera, Hook. Rose Moss. Figs. 1925-C. Stem 

 slender and terete, prostrate or ascending, not rising 

 over 6-10 in., hairy in tufts at the joints: lvs. scattered 

 or somewhat clustered, 

 short and terete Hs 

 large (usually 1 in oi 

 more across in the cult 

 forms), terminal and 

 subtended by clustered 

 lvs., in many bright col 

 ors, soon witheung 

 seeds small, metallic 

 gray or gray-black. Bra 

 zil and S. B.M. 2H85 

 R.H. 1877:90. Gn.4-), p 

 4:iG. — Said to be peien 

 nial under glass. Runs 

 into many gaiden 

 forms, as: Var. Th^l- 

 lusonii, Hort. {P. Thel- 

 hisoni, LindleyJ, with handsome orange-scarlet Hs. 

 B.R. 26:31. R.H. 18.52:5. Var. splendens, Hort. (/^. 

 Gilliesii, Hook.), light red-purple. B.M. 3064. Var. 

 albiSlora, Hort., clear white. Var. sulphtirea or Th6r- 

 bumi, Hort., dark yellow. Var. caryophylloldes, Hort., 



-^^ 



PORTULACA 



red, striped white. Var. B^dmanni, Hort., clear white 

 and purple striped. Colors of the cultivated Portulacas 

 range from pure white to yellow, rose, scarlet, deep red. 

 and almost purple, with many striped forms. There are 

 also many full double strains. The Rose Mos; " 



1926. Portulaca eranditlora 



easy of culture if it is p 

 It needs full sun. 'I'lic s 

 perature for gerniiiiatim 

 rather late, — not until n 

 they are started iudoor.s 

 rectly whei-e the plants a 

 be rich. The plant make 

 for growing in dry rockv 



a hot and rather dry soil. 

 require a rather high tem- 

 I iliirefore they are sown 

 laiitiiii; time. Sometimes 

 usually they are sown di- 

 I stand. The soil need not 

 client edgings, and is good 

 A large patch of it give 



brilliant display of color in sunny weather, but the 

 flowers do not open in dull weather Seed of the dou 

 ble varieties produces raoie oi less single floweied 

 plants, unless sa%ed from cuttings of double floweied 

 plants, but the singles usuilh blc.oin eailiii thin the 

 doubles Let the plants ^i 11 111 1 | i t Tlie\ 



aie tender to frost. The pi 11 me 



places it pel sists about ol 1 /, 



«o(« wds first desciibed M II i nu 



( il Magazine ThnfloMM ,1 iil,,l „ ,,,,,,.'1 



cdloied orof a %(M l.ii.lit 1 llil, |iiiil( The plant 



soil in ^ iiions Mtuituii, 1 MMinllie Uinikl Saladillo 

 01 nestmi honiiil im ot the I'.iuip is, and tht foot of the 

 mount iins neai Mendn/a On the western side of Rio 

 Desaguaidero plants weie m gieat pinfusion, giving to 

 the giound over which the\ weie spiead auch puiple 

 hue, here and there raaiked with spots ot an orange 

 color, fiom the orange coloied ^arlet^ wliidi gtpw m 

 teimi\ed with the others " 



19/7. Portulaca oleracea, the common Purslane ( ' 



olericea, Linn. Purslane. Pusley Figs. 1927, 

 A common trailing weed in sandy ground, sut also 

 tivated in improved strains as a pot-herb: lvs. si 

 spatulate or narrow-obovate, very obtuse, thick, 

 green or reddish: fls. small, yellow, the 7-12 stai 

 sensitive to a touch. Widely distributed in many c 



