﻿OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1918. 39 



46804 to 46820— Continued. 



46818. Virgilia capensis (L.) Lam. Fabacese. 



" Keurboom,, from Storms River, Cape Province. A small tree culti- 

 vated for its ornamental foliage and sweetly scented flowers. Its culti- 

 vation is most simple, but it dislikes drought and is subject to the red 

 § scale. The wood is rather light and soft and looks well when polished, 

 but is subject to worm-eating. It is occasionally used for yokes, rafters, 

 spars, fuel, etc." 



46819. Cucumis sp. Cucurbitacese. 



" Wild cucumber from the Kalahari Desert ; said to be eaten by stock." 



46820. Mundtjlea subebosa (Roxb.) Benth. Fabacese. 



" An ornamental, leguminous shrub from the warm-temperate, arid 

 belt of the Transvaal." 



46821. Canna edulis Ker. Cannacese. Edible canna. 



From Honolulu, Hawaii. Tubers presented by the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. Received April 1, 1918. Numbered December 31, 1918. 



This plant, which is exclusively cultivated in Queensland, grows to a great 

 height, often rising to 8 or 9 feet. It has very large, broad, ribbed leaves ; and 

 as many as 15 to 20 stalks rise from a single stool, each stalk representing a 

 large bulb. In the flowering season the plant sends up a long, straight spike, 

 from the head of which bursts a beautiful bunch of bright-scarlet flowers having 

 the appearance of those of the common canna, known as " Indian Shot," but 

 far larger. The seeds do not often mature, however, as do those of the canna 

 family generally. The bulbs, from which the arrowroot of commerce is pre- 

 pared, form a compact mass on and near the surface of the soil, and so prolific 

 is the plant that I have dug from a single stool as much as 60 and even 80 pounds 

 of bulbs. (Adapted from A. J. Boyd, Queensland Agricultural Journal, vol. 

 10, p. 32.) 



For further information regarding its cultivation and manufacture, see above 

 reference. 



" The rootstocks are edible and palatable when properly cooked. More culi- 

 nary experimentation with them, however, will be required before any definite 

 decision regarding their probable popularity can be made. In Hawaii, where 

 the experiment station officials have been growing an acre of this Canna edulis, 

 Mr. F. G. Krauss informs us they have eaten it after boiling for 30 minutes 

 and then mashing it as one does boiled potatoes, and he declares it is a good sub- 

 stitute for the potato. In his opinion it outyields the potato two to one. The 

 tops have been used as forage for cattle and swine." (David Fairchilcl.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 46313. 



46822 to 46831. X Castanea neglecta Dode. Fagacese. 



From Cape Henry, Va. Collected by Mr. J. B. Norton, physiologist, of the 



P United States Department of Agriculture. Received December 10, 1918. 

 Quoted notes by Mr. Norton. 

 " While at the Virginia Truck Experiment Station at Diamond Spring, Va., 

 in 1918, I had occasion to make an observation trip through the dune and desert 

 region inside Cape Henry. Along the inside edge of the big dune were large 

 trees of many kinds being covered up by the encroaching sand ; and along the 

 foot of the dune I found empty chinquapin burs. No bushes suggesting chin- 



