78 



IMPORTANCE OP PLANT INTRODUCTION 



Durban,Natal. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child, November 9, 1904. This tree is a more vigorous one, 

 and easier to adapt to cultivation than G. Mangostana, the 

 true mangosteen. It is also a heavier bearer, and it is 

 valuable in connection with experiments on the cultivation 

 of the mangosteen in Porto Rico and Hawaii. The fruit 

 is of a golden yellow color, one-seeded, with characteristic 

 agreeable acid-iiavored pulp. 



Ilex Paraguensis, A. St. Hil. Paraguay tea. MatS. 

 Ilicinese. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. 

 Swingle, March, 1899. The leaves of this shrub or small 

 tree are extensively used in South American countries as 

 a substitute for tea. This is a small tree reaching the 

 height of 15 or 20 feet, which grows all through southern 

 South America. The leaves are prepared by drying and 

 roasting ; but instead of being handled separately, as in 

 preparing Chinese tea, large branches are dried by a wood 

 fire and then placed on the hard floor and beaten with 

 sticks until the dry leaves fall off. These leaves are then 

 used in much the same way as ordinary tea. It is used as 

 a beverage by millions of people in South America and is 

 used as medicine to a small extent. The tree is not culti- 

 vated in South America, but there are said to be numerous 

 and extensive forests where it is the predominating 

 species. 



Lotus uliginosus, Schkuhr. Bird's-foot trefoil. Legu- 

 minosEB. From France. Received through Mr. W. T. 

 Swingle, December, 1898. Perennial ; a very good plant 

 for meadows and damp woods, demanding more humidity 

 than L. eornieulatus ; taller and gives more fodder ; suc- 

 ceeds well in the shade, in peat bogs, heaths and acid 

 marshes, not calcareous ; has been suggested for the for- 

 mation of artificial prairies and is very suitable for mix- 

 tures for meadows and natural pastures. This lotus is a 

 little more prolific in its seeds than L. eornieulatus. It 

 may be sown from March to May and even in autumn. 



Medieago faleata, Linn. Medic. Leguminosae. From 

 Walujka, Russia. Received through Prof. N. E. Hansen, 

 May, 1898. Regarded by Director Bogdan, of the Walujka 

 Experiment Station, as a promising fodder plant for dry 

 steppes, where it is found native at Walujka. 



Medieago sativa, Linn. Turkestan alfalfa. Leguminosffi. 

 A Turkestan variety or strain of the ordinary lucerne 

 or alfalfa, introduced by Prof. N. E. Hansen, in 1898, 

 and has proved a distinct success, more particularly in 

 those regions subjected to severe drought, and on soils 

 impregnated with alkali. Its resistance to severe cold has 

 not been so satisfactorily proved as its hardiness under 

 conditions of drought and alkali. Professor Hansen secured 

 seed of this variety from Bokhara, Samarkand, Tashkend, 

 Sairam, 150 miles north of Merke, in the Kirghiz Tartar 

 steppes, and from Kuldja, China, Djarkent and Kopal. 

 This variety, as well as other drought-resistant forms 

 introduced from Algiers and Arabia, is likely to play an 

 important role in alfalfa cultivation in this country. 



Melilotus maerostaehys, Pomel. Melilot. LeguminosEe. 

 This species of melilot, native to Algeria, differs from 

 most of the sweet clovers in having no pronounced odor. 

 In consequence of this it is readily eaten by cattle. It has 

 succeeded very well at the Experiment Station at Rouiba, 

 where it attains a height of 3 to 6 feet. 



Melinis minutiflora, Beauv. Molasses grass. Gramineaa. 

 From Brazil. Presented by Senhor I. Nery da Fonseca, of 

 Pemambuco. This is said to be the finest pasture grass in . 

 Brazil. Should be tried in Florida. 



Miscanthus eondensatus. (?). Gramineae. From Yoko- 

 hama, Japan. Presented by Mr. H. Suzuki, of the Yoko- 

 hama Nursery Company. Received March 9, 1904. In the 

 native region where this plant is grown, its leaves remain 

 green all through the year, and the cattle are fed on it. 

 It should be cut while young, before it reaches its full 

 growth, as the stem gets hard if left too long. Young 

 steins can be cut from time to time throughout nearly the 



entire year, but a few stems on each clump should always 

 be left, as it sometimes dies if cut too severely. It is diffi- 

 cult to get seed of this plant, as the stems are constantly 

 cut by the villagers. It seldom seeds. The roots, however, 

 can be secured In any quantity. 



Myoporum, deserti, A. Cunn. Sweet-fruited myoporum. 

 MyoporacesB. Erect shrub, 3 to 4 feet high, with linear 

 leaves 1 to 2 inches long. Said by some to be pois- 

 onous when in fruit. Others state that it is a good forage 

 plant. Found principally in the interior of all the colonies 

 of Australia. (See Forage Plants of Australia, p. 40.) 

 Introduced by J. H. Maiden, Sydney Botanic Garden, 

 March 1, 1904. 



Nephelium lappaeeum, L. Rambutan. Sapindaceae. Pre- 

 sented by Dr. Treub, Buitenzorg, Java, through Mr. David 

 Fairchild. Received March 31, 1905. This species and 

 Nephelium mutabile, Blume, known as the " capoelasan," 

 produce fruits far superior to the litchi in lusciousness. 

 The fruits differ from that of the litchi in having distinct 

 long protuberances from the fruit-skin which make them 

 resemble superficially well - developed "cedar apples," 

 though much darker in color. They are two of the show- 

 iest and most delicious fruits cultivated in Java, and 

 should have been introduced long ago into the West 

 Indies. 



Ononis avellana, Pomel. Ononis. Leguminosae. This is 

 said by Doctor Trabut to be a good green-manure for 

 heavy soils. It is found only iii Algeria, where it occurs 

 in few localities on clay hills. 



Oxalis erenata., Jacq. Oca. Geraniaceae Yellow variety. 

 From France. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, Feb- 

 ruary 13, 1899. The oca of western South America, where 

 it is much appreciated as a vegetable. It is a perennial 

 plant, but cultivated as an annual. Its tubers, which 

 resemble potatoes, are acid when fresh, but after exposure 

 to the sun become floury and sweet. When dried for 

 several weeks, they become wrinkled and taste something 

 like dried figs. In this condition known as calli. For 

 directions for planting, see Vilmorin's Vegetable Garden. 



Panicum molle, Sw. Para grass. Graminese. From 

 Jamaica. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child, March, 1899. A tropical hay and pasture grass, 

 introduced before 1899 by private individuals, adapted to 

 cultivation on rich muck or swampy soils. Propagated 

 mostly by root division. Has proved profitable in southern 

 Texas, and is being experimented with throughout the 

 South. An exceedingly vigorous grower, and a very succu- 

 lent-stemmed species. 



Paspalum digitaria, C. Muell. Gramineae. From Cape 

 Town, South Africa. Presented by Prof. P. MacOwan, 

 Government Botanist, through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child. Received May 6, 1903. Seed of a grass which, 

 according to Professor MacOwan, is promising for moist 

 bottom land. It will not endure cold weather, but is suited 

 to subtropical conditions. 



Pentzia virgata. Less. Karoobosch. Compositse. From 

 Ward No. 3, Jansenville, South Africa. Received through 

 Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild, May 2, 1904. A low-grow- 

 ing, spreading bushy composite, which layers naturally when 

 the tips of its branches arch over and touch the ground. In 

 the eastern provinces of Cape Colony, where rains occur in 

 summer, but where long, severe droughts are frequent, 

 this Pentzia is one of the most valuable of all the Karro 

 plants for fodder purposes. It is especially good for sheep 

 and goats, which eat it down almost to the ground. Though 

 tested unsuccessfully in Australia, the plant is of such 

 great value that it deserves a thorough trial in America and 

 should be used in experiments on the dry lands in Hawaii 

 and in southern California. It has grown and fruited for 

 several years at Berkeley, California, where it was intro- 

 duced previous to 1904. 



Phaseolus viridissimus, Tenore. Gram. Leguminosae. 

 From Athens, Greece, Received through Mr. D. 6. Fair- 



