﻿APEIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1918. 15 



good land it will not make a good show, but if planted on a dry, rocky hill- 

 side, where it will be scorched by the sun for a period of three or four months 

 each year, it makes a marvelous display of flowers. It would probably succeed 

 in the hot parts of California." (Jones.) 



A shrub or small tree with abruptly pinnate leaves having six to eight pairs 

 of oblong leaflets. The large bright-scarlet flowers are borne in fascicles of 

 three to five and appear before the leaves. (Adapted from Griseoach, Flora, 

 of the British West Indian Islands, p. 183.) 



46027. Chenopodium bonus-henricus L. Chenopodiacese. 



Good King" Henry. 

 From Ireland. Presented by the director of the Dublin Royal Botanic 

 Garden. Received April 22, 1918. 

 An herbaceous perennial, 2 to 3 feet tall, often cultivated for the large 

 triangular leaves, which are used like spinach. 



46028. Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq. Solanaceae. 



From San Jose, Costa Rica. Fruits presented by Mr. A. Tonduz, Minis- 



terio de Hacienda y Comercio. Received April 30, 1918. 



A spiny undershrub 1 to 2 feet high, widely distributed in the Tropics. The 



few-flowered axillary cymes of snow-white flowers 1 inch across are followed 



by globose orange or yellow fruits often 2 inches in diameter. (Adapted from 



Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. 6, p. 3184.) 





46029. Cucumis melo L. Cucurbitacese. Australian casaba. 



From Burringbar, Australia. Presented by Mr. B. Harrison. Received 

 April 30, 1918. 



I am inclosing seeds of the Australian casaba, the correct name of which 

 I do not know, but which I believe originally came from India. It is a most 

 prolific plant, bearing cream-colored fruit about the size of a cucumber. It is 

 sometimes called the ' apple melon ' and is quite popular here, being very pal- 

 atable when eaten with sugar or made up into pies. It is hardy, prolific, and 

 early, and should thrive well throughout the United States." {Harrison.) 



46030. Xanthosoma sp. Aracese. Yautia. 



From San Juan, Porto Rico. Tubers presented by Mr. W. J. McGee, chief, 

 Bureau of Chemistry, Experiment Station. Received May 2, 1918. 

 "A small-growing yautia which produces edible, yellow-fleshed corms ; they 

 are mealy and dry and rich in flavor when cooked. The cormels or lateral 

 tubers, are usually too small for table use. The very young leaves are often 

 used for greens, called calalou in the French West Indies. The leaves are acrid 

 and require parboiling with a little baking soda or cooking with fat meat. The 

 plant seldom exceeds 3 feet in height. The leaf blade is narrowly sagittate, 

 with a broad sinus ; basal veins naked for one-fourth of an inch ; marginal vein 

 one-eighth of an inch or less from edge of blade. Petiole green ; sinus wings 

 glaucous, tinged with purple, with an irregular greenish white stripe next to 

 the margin ; margin of wing pink. The prominent whitish stripe on the wing 

 of the petiolar sinus is an easy distinguishing character. In Guadeloupe this 

 yellow variety is called malanga colore^, or colored eddo, and is said to be more 

 highly esteemed than the white-fleshed yautias. It is eaten baked, boiled, fried, 

 etc." (R. A. Young.) 



