﻿36 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED. 
  

  

  29117 
  to 
  29121. 
  Asparagus 
  spp. 
  

  

  From 
  Paris, 
  France. 
  Purchased 
  from 
  Vilmorin-Andi'ieux 
  & 
  Co. 
  Received 
  

   December 
  5, 
  1910. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  climbing 
  varieties: 
  

  

  29117. 
  Asparagus 
  blampiedh 
  Hort. 
  

  

  29118. 
  Asparagus 
  crispus 
  Lam. 
  

  

  See 
  No. 
  28923 
  for 
  previous 
  introduction. 
  

  

  29119. 
  Asparagus 
  comorensis 
  Hort. 
  

  

  29120. 
  Asparagus 
  scandens 
  deflexus 
  Baker. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  In 
  woods 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  in 
  the 
  Somerset 
  

   division 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  region 
  of 
  Cape 
  Colony 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Cape 
  Town. 
  

  

  29121. 
  Asparagus 
  verticillatus 
  L. 
  

  

  ' 
  ' 
  Fruit 
  red 
  . 
  Height 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  meters. 
  Foliage 
  ornamental 
  from 
  April 
  to 
  October. 
  ' 
  ' 
  

   Distribution. 
  — 
  Southeastern 
  Europe 
  and 
  western 
  Asia, 
  extending 
  from 
  

  

  Turkey 
  through 
  the 
  Caucasus 
  region 
  to 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  Siberia 
  and 
  northern 
  

  

  Persia. 
  

  

  29122. 
  Cordeauxia 
  edulis 
  Hemsl. 
  Yeheb 
  nut. 
  

  

  From 
  Kew, 
  England. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Dr. 
  David 
  Prain, 
  director, 
  Royal 
  Botanic 
  

   Gardens. 
  Received 
  December 
  2, 
  1910. 
  

  

  "The 
  yeheb 
  plant 
  grows 
  in 
  poor 
  sandy 
  soil 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  regions 
  of 
  Italian 
  Somaliland. 
  

   The 
  underground 
  soil 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  somewhat 
  moist 
  and 
  at 
  certain 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  

   there 
  are 
  regular 
  and 
  plentiful 
  rains 
  in 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  the 
  plant 
  grows. 
  

  

  "The 
  yeheb 
  forms 
  an 
  evergreen 
  bush 
  about 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  high 
  and 
  the 
  seeds 
  are 
  an 
  

   important 
  article 
  of 
  food 
  among 
  the 
  Somalis. 
  

  

  "Its 
  seeds, 
  called 
  nuts, 
  have 
  a 
  high 
  food 
  value, 
  containing 
  21 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  cane 
  

   sugar, 
  2 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  reducing 
  sugars, 
  13 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  proteids, 
  and 
  37 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  carbo- 
  

   hydrates. 
  They 
  form 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  commerce 
  and 
  are 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  coast 
  by 
  caravans. 
  

   They 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  native 
  Dolbahanta 
  Somalis 
  in 
  preference 
  to 
  rice 
  and 
  dates. 
  

   Though 
  the 
  climate 
  of 
  Somaliland 
  is 
  not 
  well 
  known, 
  the 
  indications 
  are 
  that 
  where 
  

   this 
  plant 
  grows 
  long 
  periods 
  of 
  drought 
  occur, 
  but 
  rains 
  are 
  abundant 
  and 
  regular 
  at 
  

   certain 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  Winter 
  temperatures 
  probably 
  do 
  not 
  go 
  below 
  freezing. 
  

   The 
  plant 
  quickly 
  forms 
  a 
  long 
  taproot, 
  bears 
  when 
  only 
  4 
  feet 
  high, 
  has 
  evergreen 
  

   leaves 
  which 
  if 
  crushed 
  stain 
  the 
  fingers 
  a 
  magenta 
  color, 
  and 
  grows 
  into 
  a 
  large 
  tree. 
  

  

  "At 
  Kew 
  seedlings 
  have 
  been 
  raised 
  without 
  difficulty 
  under 
  moist 
  tropical 
  con- 
  

   ditions, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  hoped 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  establish 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  dry 
  regions 
  

   where 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  poor 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  its 
  native 
  country." 
  

   (See 
  Kew 
  Bulletin, 
  1908, 
  No. 
  1, 
  pp. 
  36-44, 
  and 
  No. 
  3, 
  p. 
  141.) 
  

  

  "I 
  doubt 
  very 
  much 
  if 
  Florida 
  will 
  suit 
  this 
  plant, 
  but 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  Cali- 
  

   fornia 
  seems 
  more 
  hopeful. 
  It 
  is 
  evident, 
  however, 
  from 
  its 
  behavior 
  with 
  us 
  that 
  

   it 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  those 
  desert 
  plants 
  which 
  insist 
  on 
  having 
  desert 
  conditions 
  so 
  far 
  at 
  least 
  

   as 
  the 
  surface 
  is 
  concerned, 
  though 
  I 
  suspect 
  it 
  likes 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  tap 
  a 
  deep 
  supply 
  

   of 
  water. 
  Perhaps 
  a 
  sand 
  draw, 
  provided 
  such 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  a 
  region 
  sufficiently 
  

   hot, 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  ideal 
  locality 
  for 
  it." 
  (Prain.) 
  

  

  29123 
  and 
  29124. 
  Citrus 
  limetta 
  Bisso. 
  Lime. 
  

  

  From 
  Trinidad, 
  British 
  West 
  Indies. 
  Collected 
  and 
  presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  G. 
  P. 
  

   Wilder, 
  of 
  Hawaii. 
  Received 
  December 
  7, 
  1910. 
  

   Cuttings 
  of 
  the 
  following; 
  notes 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Wilder: 
  

  

  29123. 
  "Spineless 
  lime, 
  from 
  St. 
  Clair 
  Experiment 
  Station, 
  Port 
  of 
  Spain. 
  

   This 
  lime 
  had 
  few 
  seeds, 
  juice 
  was 
  of 
  fine 
  quality, 
  shape 
  roundish 
  and 
  de- 
  

   pressed. 
  There 
  are 
  about 
  6 
  to 
  8 
  trees, 
  very 
  healthy 
  and 
  robust. 
  The 
  entire 
  

   wood 
  is 
  free 
  from 
  thorns." 
  

   227 
  

  

  