﻿42 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



45504. Castanospermum australe Cimn. and Fraser. Fabacese. 



Moreton Bay chestnut. 



From Dominica, British West Indies. Seeds presented by the Botanic 



Garden through the curator, Mr. Joseph Jones. Received November 16. 



1917. 



The Moreton Bay chestnut is a large ornamental leguminous tree, native to 



Queensland and New South Wales, where it is said to grow abundantly along 



rivers. The large evergreen leaves and the racemes of bright orange-yellow 



flowers make an attractive picture in any subtropical garden. The pod, 8 to 9 



inches long, bears four to five globular seeds larger than Italian chestnuts. 



These seeds are roasted and eaten like chestnuts. (Adapted from Bailey, 



Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 2, p. 688, and Gardeners' Chronicle, 



3d ser., vol. 38, p. 2U-) 



45505 and 45506. 



From Guatemala. Collected by Mr. Wilson Popenoe, Agricultural Ex- 

 plorer for the Department of Agriculture. Received November 17, 1917. 

 45505. Peesea amekicana Mill. Lauracese. Avocado. 



(P. gratissima Gaertn. f.) 



" (No. 195. Avocado No. 32. City of Guatemala, Guatemala. November 

 6, 1917.) Akoal. This is a variety noteworthy for earliness, and bud 

 wood has been included in the set primarily for this characteristic. It 

 is, however, of very good quality and has no visible defects except a 

 somewhat undesirable shape. Judging by its behavior in Guatemala, 

 it should be the earliest variety in the collection, but it is not safe to 

 depend upon its retaining this characteristic in the United States, since 

 slight local variations in soil or climate sometimes affect the time of 

 ripening very noticeably and its earliness may not be altogether an 

 inherent characteristic. 



" The parent tree is growing in the grounds of Eulogio Duarte, near 

 Amatitlan. The location is known as Los Rastrojos and is about 

 2 miles from the plaza of Amatitlan, on the road which leads past the 

 cemetery toward the hills. The altitude is approximately 4,200 feet. 

 The tree is about 40 feet high, spreading but of compact growth, the 

 crown being fairly dense. The trunk is about 20 inches thick at the base, 

 and it branches 10 feet from the ground. According to the owner, the 

 tree is 6 years old, but to judge from its size it can not be less than 20. 

 It seems to be vigorous and in good condition. The bud wood which 

 it yields is fairly satisfactory, the growths being well formed though 

 not very stout, while the eyes are vigorous and do not drop quickly. 



" This is a rather warm region ; hence, there is nothing to indicate 

 that the variety will be unusually hardy. 



" The crop harvested in the fall of 1917 was a good one. According 

 to the owner, it was 600 fruits, but it seems probable that it was con- 

 siderably more. The bearing habit of the tree gives promise of being 

 very satisfactory. The flowering season is in November and December, 

 and the fruit ripens from the following August to November. It is 

 fully ripe and in perfect condition for picking by the middle of October, 

 whereas the average variety of the same region is not mature until Jan- 

 uary at the earliest. 



" In two characteristics this variety does not seem to agree with the 

 Guatemalan race. It has a thin skin, and the seed coats do not adhere 



