﻿APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1919. 27 



47526. Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Solanacese. Tomato. 



From Naples, Italy. Presented by the Museo Commerciale e Coloniale of 



Naples, through Mr. B. Harvey Carroll, jr., American consul. Received 



June 11, 1919. 



" Tomato seed of the variety ' fiascone ' or ' fiaschetti,' of which the English 



translation would be 'little flagons' on account of the shape of the tomato. 



This is the type of tomato most largely grown in this consular district and most 



used for canning and for making tomato paste." (Carroll.) 



47527. Saguerus pinnatus Wurmb. Phcenicacese. Sugar palm. 



(Arenga saccharifera Labill.) 

 From Mayaguez, Porto Rico. Presented by Mr. D. W. May, Porto Rico 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. Received May 14, 1919. 

 " The gomuti palm is one of the most useful of palms, and occurs in a wild 

 state throughout the islands of the Indian Archipelago, but is more common in 

 the interior, principally in the hilly districts, than on the sea coast; it is also 

 very generally cultivated by the various people who inhabit that region. It is 

 indigenous to Sonda and the Philippines, and is cultivated generally in tropical 

 Asia. This palm attains a height of 30 to 40 feet and, in addition to its sac- 

 charine sap, furnishes a highly valuable black fibrous substance, ejoo fiber, 

 superior in quality, cheapness, and durability to that obtained from the husk 

 of the coconut, and renowned for its power of resisting moisture. It is used 

 by the natives of the Indian islands for every purpose of cordage, and is known 

 as tsongli. Underneath this material is found a substance of a soft gos- 

 samerlike texture, which is imported into China. It is applied as oakum in 

 caulking the seams of ships, and more generally as tinder for kindling fire. 

 It is for the latter purpose that it is chiefly in demand among the Chinese. In 

 Malacca, the gomuti, there termed kabong, is cultivated principally for the 

 juice which it yields for the manufacture of sugar." (Simmonds, Tropical 

 Agriculture, p. 252.) 



47528 to 47530. Hevea spruceana (Benth.) Muell. Arg. Euphor- 

 biacese. 

 From Para, Brazil. Presented by M. Au Lims de Vasconcellos Chaves. 

 Received May 17, 1919. 

 " In the region where the ' seringueira barriguda ' occurs I was told that its 

 latex is of inferior quality and not used in the preparation of rubber. It is cer- 

 tain that in the lower Tapajoz country, where this plant appears to be most 

 common, the best rubber is furnished by other species, principally Hevea bra- 

 siliensis. According to Dr. Ule, in the Jurua region the latex of H. spruceana 

 is sometimes mixed with that of H. brasiliensis, with the result that tbe quality 

 of the latter is impaired, and the product is known as ' borracha pobre.' " (Ru- 

 ler, Observacoes sobre as Arvores de Borracha da Regido Amazonica, p. 11.) 



47528. " Barriguda " 948. 47530. " Barriguda " 950. 



47529. "Barriguda" 949. 



47531. Cucurbita sp. Cucurbitacese. Squash. 



From Guayaquil, Ecuador. Presented by Dr. J. N. Rose, associate curator, 

 United States National Herbarium, Washington, D. C. Received May 

 26, 1919. 

 "(Rose No. 24034. Collected August 11, 191S.) A squash found hanging in 

 a tree ; the vine was dead so that no foliage or flowering specimen could be ob- 

 tained." (Rose.) • 



