﻿88 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPORTED. 
  

  

  proportion 
  of 
  starch 
  also 
  is 
  abundant, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  brought 
  to 
  market 
  at 
  so 
  cheap 
  a 
  

   rate 
  as 
  to 
  admit 
  of 
  being 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  calico 
  printers 
  in 
  place 
  of 
  potato 
  starch. 
  

  

  "The 
  Kew 
  Bulletin 
  for 
  1889, 
  page 
  17, 
  quotes 
  from 
  letters 
  from 
  Dr. 
  Trimen, 
  Director 
  

   of 
  the 
  Botanic 
  Gardens 
  in 
  Ceylon, 
  pointing 
  out 
  that 
  the 
  pods 
  when 
  young 
  are 
  not 
  

   poisonous, 
  but 
  may 
  be 
  eaten 
  like 
  French 
  beans. 
  He 
  wrote: 
  'They 
  are 
  quite 
  new 
  to 
  

   Ceylon 
  * 
  * 
  *. 
  The 
  young 
  pods 
  served 
  like 
  French 
  beans 
  are 
  an 
  admirable 
  

   vegetable, 
  tender 
  and 
  sweet 
  * 
  * 
  *. 
  What 
  constitutes 
  their 
  superiority 
  over 
  the 
  

   ordinary 
  French 
  beans 
  is 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  any 
  fibrous 
  string 
  along 
  the 
  sutures 
  of 
  the 
  pod. 
  

   The 
  large 
  size 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  advantage; 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  inches 
  long.' 
  

  

  "In 
  Jamaica 
  the 
  seeds 
  are 
  generally 
  sown 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  April. 
  But 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  sown 
  

   at 
  any 
  time. 
  At 
  Hope 
  Gardens 
  seeds 
  were 
  sown 
  in 
  September. 
  The 
  pods 
  are 
  ready 
  

   for 
  use 
  as 
  French 
  beans 
  seven 
  months 
  after 
  sowing, 
  and 
  when 
  pods 
  are 
  quite 
  ripe, 
  

   nine 
  months 
  after 
  sowing, 
  the 
  yams 
  are 
  fit 
  to 
  dig. 
  From 
  one 
  seed 
  sown 
  at 
  Hope 
  

   Gardens 
  five 
  yams 
  were 
  dug 
  weighing 
  altogether 
  14 
  pounds. 
  They 
  generally 
  vary 
  in 
  

   size 
  from 
  1 
  foot 
  to 
  18 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter." 
  (Bulletin 
  No. 
  44 
  

   of 
  the 
  Botanical 
  Department 
  of 
  Jamaica, 
  June, 
  1893, 
  p. 
  4-) 
  

  

  33259 
  and 
  33260. 
  

  

  From 
  Para, 
  Brazil. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Walter 
  Fischer, 
  Campo 
  de 
  Cultura 
  Experi- 
  

   mental 
  Paraense. 
  Received 
  March 
  29, 
  1912. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following, 
  taken 
  from 
  fruits 
  brought 
  in 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Fischer: 
  

  

  33259. 
  Lecythis 
  usitata 
  Miers. 
  Sapucaia 
  nut. 
  

   "This 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  tree 
  of 
  the 
  monkey-pot 
  family, 
  native 
  of 
  forests 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  Amazon. 
  It 
  has 
  large, 
  urn-shaped 
  fruits 
  of 
  a 
  hard, 
  woody 
  texture, 
  about 
  

   6 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  with 
  lids 
  measuring 
  about 
  2 
  inches 
  across. 
  When 
  ripe 
  the 
  

   lid 
  separates 
  from 
  the 
  capsule, 
  emitting 
  a 
  sharp 
  sound, 
  which 
  when 
  heard 
  by 
  

   the 
  monkeys 
  is 
  a 
  signal 
  that 
  the 
  nuts 
  are 
  falling 
  and 
  a 
  scramble 
  and 
  fight 
  to 
  be 
  

   the 
  first 
  to 
  obtain 
  them 
  ensues; 
  on 
  this 
  account 
  few 
  are 
  left 
  for 
  the 
  trader, 
  and 
  

   the 
  export 
  is 
  consequently 
  small. 
  The 
  common 
  name 
  of 
  monkey-pot 
  is 
  ap- 
  

   plied 
  to 
  the 
  capsule 
  when 
  empty. 
  " 
  (Dictionary 
  of 
  Popular 
  Names 
  of 
  Economic 
  

   Plants, 
  John 
  Smith, 
  1882.) 
  

  

  See 
  No. 
  25435 
  for 
  previous 
  introduction. 
  

  

  33260. 
  Theobroma 
  grandiflora 
  (Willd.) 
  Schum. 
  Cupuacu. 
  

   "This 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  common 
  fruit 
  here. 
  Its 
  odor 
  and 
  taste 
  may 
  be 
  somewhat 
  

  

  nauseating 
  to 
  some, 
  at 
  least 
  if 
  received 
  in 
  too 
  large 
  quantities, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  really 
  

   a 
  very 
  luscious 
  fruit. 
  It 
  is 
  used 
  here 
  considerably 
  for 
  making 
  jellies 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   serves, 
  which 
  have 
  an 
  aftertaste 
  which 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  liked 
  at 
  first, 
  but 
  which, 
  

   like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  guava, 
  when 
  once 
  acquired 
  would 
  become 
  very 
  popular. 
  " 
  

   (Fischer.) 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  Damp 
  shady 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  forests 
  of 
  the 
  Amazon 
  Valley 
  in 
  the 
  

   provinces 
  of 
  Amazonas 
  and 
  Para, 
  in 
  Brazil. 
  

  

  33261. 
  Eugenia 
  sp. 
  

  

  From 
  Para, 
  Brazil. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Walter 
  Fischer, 
  Campo 
  de 
  Cultura 
  Experi- 
  

   mental 
  Paraense. 
  Received 
  March 
  29, 
  1912. 
  

   "This 
  is 
  a 
  small-sized 
  tree 
  about 
  6 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  20 
  feet 
  high. 
  The 
  fruit 
  

   is 
  bright 
  red 
  like 
  a 
  wild 
  goose 
  plum 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size. 
  The 
  peel 
  or 
  rind 
  is 
  some- 
  

   what 
  thick, 
  but 
  edible 
  like 
  the 
  soft 
  juicy 
  pulp 
  that 
  surrounds 
  the 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  large 
  

   hairy 
  seeds; 
  the 
  flavor 
  is 
  slightly 
  resinous 
  and 
  also 
  suggests 
  strawberry. 
  It 
  makes 
  a 
  

   good 
  sauce 
  when 
  stewed 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  very 
  good 
  raw. 
  " 
  {Fischer.) 
  

   282 
  

  

  