JULY, 1906, TO DECEMBER, 1907. 159 



21474— Continued. 



" They were given to me some two years ago by a multimillionaire fellow- 

 voyager on the Deutschland, who used to crumble two or three of them into his 

 soup as an agreeable condiment. He said tbey were sent to him from some 

 South American country — Bolivia, I think. I enjoyed their pleasant flavor." 

 (Adee.) 



21475. Brassica sp. Cabbage. 



From northern Manchuria. Presented by the Yokohama Nursery Com- 

 pany (Limited), Yokohama, Japan. Received October 10, 1907. 



Kaijo white cabbage. 

 21476 and 21477. Cyperus spp. 



From near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Collected by Mr. F. G. Krauss, in 

 charge of Hawaii rice investigations, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, in 1907, at the request of Mr. David Fairchild. Received October 

 1, 1907. 



21476. Cypekus laevigatus. 



"Ehuawa. In and near sweet or brackish water, plentiful near Hono- 

 lulu. A common plant in many tropical countries of the New and the 

 Old World, extending also to the Cape of Good Hope and the Mediter- 

 ranean region. The fine and highly prized Niihau mats are made of this 

 plant." (Hillebrand.) 



21477. Cyperus pennatus. 



" Molokai. The plant grows quite abundantly along the shores of 

 brackish marshes in the neighborhood of Honolulu and elsewhere in 

 Hawaii." (Krauss.) 



"In the lower regions; sometimes gregarious. The species extends - 

 from the MasT?arene Islands and India through Malaysia, Australia, and 

 south China to the Philippines and most of the Pacific Islands." (Hille- 

 brand. ) 



21478. Panicum molle. Para grass. 



From Sao Paulo, Brazil. Presented by Dr. H. M. Lane, president, Mac- 

 kenzie College, through Mr. C. V. Piper. Received June 12, 1907. 



" This very coarse grass is from Africa and is known here as ' Capim de 

 Angola.' It is the Panicum scabrum of Lam. and the OpUsmenus spectabilis 

 of Kunth. Its chief value is to cut for green forage. It is almost impossible 

 to cure it, and it is of little value for pasture." (Lane.) 



21481 and 21482. 



From New York, N. Y. Received through Messrs. Parke, Davis & Co. Re- 

 ceived October 15 and 16, 1907. 



21481. Physostigma venenosxjm. Calabar bean. 



"A perennial climber, resembling the common scarlet runner, growing 

 along the Gulf of Guinea, used there by pagan tribes in ordeal trial in 

 witchcraft. It acts as a powerful depressant, poisonous in overdoses. 

 The seeds from the article known on the crude drug market as Calabar 

 bean." (R. H. True.) 



21482. Strychnos ignatii. St. Ignatius bean. 



"A large climbing shrub of the Visayan group of the Philippines. The 

 large fruit contains several pebble-like seeds, going on the crude drug 

 market as St. Ignatius beans. They contain the alkaloids strychnine and 

 brucine, for the manufacture of which they are used to some extent." 

 (R. R. True.) 

 132 



