﻿74 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED. 
  

  

  31227. 
  Chrysanthemum 
  marschallii 
  Aschers. 
  

  

  From 
  Odessa, 
  Russia. 
  Procured 
  from 
  Mr. 
  B. 
  F. 
  Shtamma; 
  presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  

   John 
  H. 
  Grout, 
  American 
  consul. 
  Received 
  July 
  9, 
  1911. 
  

   "A 
  perennial 
  herb 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Composite 
  family, 
  closely 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  plant 
  

   furnishing 
  the 
  Persian 
  insect 
  powder 
  ( 
  Chrysanthemum 
  roseum 
  W. 
  and 
  M 
  . 
  ) 
  . 
  The 
  flowers 
  

   and 
  unopened 
  flower 
  buds, 
  when 
  dried 
  and 
  finely 
  powdered, 
  are 
  used 
  to 
  kill 
  insects, 
  

   the 
  powder 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  being 
  known 
  also 
  as 
  Persian 
  insect 
  powder. 
  The 
  flowers 
  

   in 
  some 
  forms 
  are 
  double 
  and 
  give 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  plant 
  as 
  an 
  ornamental. 
  This 
  species 
  

   occurs 
  with 
  Chrysanthemum 
  roseum 
  in 
  the 
  high 
  mountains 
  of 
  the 
  Caucasus, 
  Armenia, 
  

   and 
  northern 
  Persia, 
  where 
  it 
  occupies 
  sunny 
  areas." 
  (R. 
  H. 
  True.) 
  

  

  31228. 
  Dracaena 
  cinnabari 
  Balf. 
  f. 
  Dragon's-blood 
  tree. 
  

  

  From 
  island 
  of 
  Socotra, 
  Africa. 
  Procured 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Charles 
  K. 
  Moser, 
  American 
  

   consul, 
  Aden, 
  Arabia. 
  Received 
  May 
  24, 
  1911. 
  

  

  "I 
  saw 
  three 
  varieties 
  of 
  this 
  tree 
  growing 
  close 
  together 
  and 
  was 
  much 
  interested 
  

   in 
  their 
  ruby 
  exudations, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  natives 
  now 
  make 
  but 
  little 
  use. 
  They 
  call 
  

   the 
  tree 
  a'ard-eeib 
  (as 
  near 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  get 
  it 
  phonetically) 
  and 
  the 
  exudation 
  mu-soilo. 
  

   This 
  tree, 
  I 
  believe, 
  would 
  grow 
  well 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Bernardino 
  Mountains, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   Haghier 
  Hills 
  much 
  remind 
  me." 
  (Moser.) 
  

  

  "I 
  found 
  the 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  this 
  tree 
  to 
  vary 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  20 
  feet, 
  and 
  its 
  circum- 
  

   ference 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  5. 
  When 
  young 
  they 
  usually 
  have 
  but 
  one 
  stem 
  and 
  no 
  branches, 
  

   the 
  leaves 
  being 
  disposed 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  star 
  round 
  the 
  upper 
  part, 
  but 
  as 
  they 
  get 
  

   older 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  with 
  three, 
  four, 
  and 
  even 
  five 
  stems. 
  From 
  the 
  extremity 
  

   of 
  each 
  branch 
  a 
  cluster 
  of 
  leaves 
  rises 
  perpendicularly, 
  which 
  are 
  disposed 
  in 
  a 
  circular 
  

   form 
  radiating 
  from 
  the 
  center. 
  The 
  branches 
  are 
  thickly 
  interwoven 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  

   fantastic 
  and 
  tortuous 
  shapes, 
  but 
  the 
  foliage, 
  assuming 
  a 
  more 
  regular 
  and 
  better- 
  

   defined 
  outline, 
  rises 
  in 
  a 
  semicircular 
  shape 
  over 
  the 
  summit. 
  Their 
  appearance 
  

   at 
  a 
  distance 
  is 
  therefore 
  that 
  of 
  an 
  inverted 
  cone 
  supported 
  by 
  a 
  thin 
  cylinder. 
  

   The 
  bark 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  lead 
  color; 
  the 
  wood 
  is 
  soft 
  and 
  spongy, 
  having 
  thin 
  longi- 
  

   tudinal 
  fibers 
  extending 
  along 
  it; 
  the 
  roots 
  spread 
  very 
  much, 
  partially 
  intersecting 
  

   each 
  other 
  near 
  the 
  surface. 
  Few 
  of 
  them 
  extend 
  to 
  any 
  depth, 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  be 
  observed 
  seeking 
  sufficient 
  nourishment 
  from 
  the 
  soil 
  lodged 
  in 
  the 
  cavi- 
  

   ties 
  in 
  the 
  rocks. 
  The 
  Arabs 
  consider 
  the 
  tree 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  different 
  sexes. 
  The 
  male, 
  

   they 
  say, 
  produces 
  no 
  gum, 
  which 
  exudes 
  so 
  spontaneously 
  from 
  the 
  female 
  trees 
  

   that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  necessary 
  on 
  any 
  occasion 
  to 
  make 
  incisions. 
  Soon 
  after 
  the 
  

   setting 
  in 
  of 
  the 
  southwest 
  monsoon 
  is 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  period 
  most 
  favorable 
  for 
  

   collecting 
  it." 
  (Wellsted, 
  Travels 
  in 
  Arabia, 
  vol. 
  2, 
  1838, 
  pp. 
  448-451.) 
  

  

  31229 
  to 
  31231. 
  

  

  From 
  Peru. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  A. 
  Furlong, 
  Perene, 
  Peru. 
  Received 
  June 
  9, 
  

   1911. 
  

   Tubers 
  of 
  the 
  following: 
  

  

  31229. 
  Ipomoea 
  batatas 
  (L.) 
  Poir. 
  Sweet 
  potato. 
  

  

  " 
  Grown 
  by 
  the 
  savages 
  in 
  the 
  Perene 
  district." 
  (Furlong.) 
  

   31230 
  and 
  31231. 
  Solanum 
  spp. 
  Potato. 
  

  

  31230. 
  "Tubers 
  uniform 
  in 
  size, 
  small 
  to 
  medium. 
  Shape 
  uniform, 
  

   mostly 
  round 
  to 
  oblate, 
  flattened. 
  Surface 
  smooth 
  to 
  knobby. 
  Distal 
  

   end 
  obtuse 
  to 
  truncate. 
  Stem 
  small 
  to 
  large, 
  central. 
  Proximal 
  end 
  

   obtuse 
  to 
  truncate. 
  Bud-eye 
  cluster 
  small 
  to 
  large, 
  little 
  too 
  much 
  

   depressed, 
  central. 
  Cavity 
  rather 
  large, 
  narrow 
  to 
  broad, 
  deep, 
  irregular. 
  

   Skin 
  thick, 
  tough, 
  not 
  easily 
  bruised, 
  glossy 
  to 
  dull, 
  purple 
  to 
  violet 
  

   mottled 
  with 
  coppery 
  yellow, 
  variable. 
  Eyes 
  few 
  to 
  many, 
  mostly 
  

   grouped 
  at 
  distal 
  end, 
  small 
  to 
  large, 
  deep, 
  compound, 
  regular, 
  com- 
  

  

  242 
  

  

  