26 BULLETIN 1057, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



carpus anthelmintMca, require slightly different conditions; but all 

 species of Hydnocarpus and Taraktogenos require well-drained 

 sandy or loamy silt soils and grow best along creek beds or on the 

 banks of streams. All require climates necessary for an evergreen 

 rain forest, such as is found in Burma and elsewhere in India. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Owing to* the insufficient knowledge we possess regarding the 

 species of both Hydnocarpus and Taraktogenos, and even of such 

 an important species as Taraktogenos kurzii, the writer would recom- 

 mend that a thorough survey be made of all the known species. All 

 the given localities, as far as possible, should be visited and com- 

 plete material collected. Seeds should be secured in quantities, both 

 for germination and for chemical examination. Photographs should 

 be taken of each species in its native haunt and fresh specimens 

 should be photographed. Soil samples should be taken for chemical 

 analysis and all such data should be gathered as plant associations, 

 native names, medicinal uses, etc. The whole group of Pangiese, 

 especially the species of Taraktogenos, Hydnocarpus, and Asteri- 

 astigma, should be thoroughly monographed. Complete fruits as 

 well as flowering material should be preserved in formalin, and 

 wood samples should also be taken. 



During the writer's stay in Calcutta, he worked on this group 

 of plants in the Sibpur Botanic Garden Herbarium, the re- 

 pository of King's types, and found among the material (which 

 is at best fragmentary) possibly fifteen undescribed species of 

 either Hydnocarpus or Taraktogenos. Complete notes were taken 

 as well as photographs of the described and undescribed species; in 

 nearly every instance detailed information is given as to localities, 

 so that it will be very easy to locate these species. A survey of this 

 group would be of great humanitarian interest, as among the many 

 species of Hydnocarpus and Taraktogenos some may be found of 

 more value from a pharmaceutical standpoint than Taraktogenos 

 kurzii. Asteriastigma macrocarpa especially should be investigated. 

 If plantations are to be established it is of the utmost value to know 

 which of the numerous species should be planted. The best yielder 

 of fruits, the largest fruited, and those yielding the proper oil in 

 largest quantity should be selected. Special attention should also be 

 given to climatic and soil conditions and environment. 



The chemical part of this work would be of the greatest interest, 

 for as yet complete investigations have been made only of the oils 

 from Taraktogenos kurzii, Hydnocarpus wightiana, H. anthelminth- 

 ica, and the so-called false chaulmoogra ( Gynocardia odorata) . Less 



