14 



PLANT MATERIAL INTRODUCED 



98509. Ficus sp. Moraceae. Fig. 



From Cuba. Cuttings presented by Sen or Antonio 

 Portuondo, Director General of Agriculture, 

 Habana. Received April 22, 1932. 



An ornamental ficus, somewhat like F. myso- 

 rensis, but with a heavy coating of brown hairs on 

 the under side of the leaves. 



98510 to 98514. Phoenicaceae. Palm. 



From the West Indies, British Guiana, and Suri- 

 nam. Seeds collected by David Fairchild and 

 P. H. Dorsett, agricultural explorers, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, with the 1931-32 Allison V. 

 Armour expedition. Received April 18, 1932. 



98510. ASTROCARYUM sp. 



No. 2957. Collected on Tobago Island. 



38511. ASTROCARYUM SEGREGATUM Drude. 



No. 2987. Purchased February 23, 1932, in the 

 market at Georgetown, British Guiana. A 

 rather low-growing Brazilian palm with a spiny 

 trunk and large pinnate leaves armed with large 

 stout black spines along the midribs. The fra- 

 grant, oily, smooth fruits are about 2 inches in 

 diameter. Native to eastern Brazil. 



For previous introduction see 97809. 



98512. ASTROCARYUM PARAMACA Mart. 



No. 2685. Purchased in the market at Para- 

 maribo, Surinam, March 2, 1932. A low-growing 

 very attractive shade-loving palm from 6 to 8 

 feet high with the pinnae all on one plane. The 

 inflorescence consists of a single central upright 

 spadix to which the fruits are attached by pe- 

 duncles 1 inch long. The fruits are small, 1 inch 

 long, with tiny black spines and a tough oily 

 endosperm. 



For previous introduction see 97910. 



98513. COCCOTHRINAX Sp. 



No. 2614. From Beata Island, Dominican Re- 

 public. A very handsome slender fan palm with 

 a trunk 20 feet high and about 3 inches in diameter. 

 The under side of the leaves is silvery and the 

 fruit is dark purple. Found on sand dunes near 

 the seacoast. 



For previous introduction see 96483. 



98514. Mauritia flexuosa L. f. 



No. 3652. Collected in the Lamaha Savanna, 

 British Guiana, February 26, 1932. 



For previous introduction see 98498. 



98515. Dioscorea sp. Dioscoreaceae. 



Yam. 



From Puerto Rico. Tubers presented by T. B. 

 McClelland, director, Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, Mayaguez. Received April 19, 1932. 



Morado; so called from its purple color just below 

 the epidermis. The flesh below this is white or 

 cream colored, and is of good quality. In com- 

 parative trials this year at the experiment station 

 this yam outyielded all other varieties. The pro- 

 duction from one plant was 22 pounds, but this 

 figure is sometimes nearly doubled. 



98516 to 98519. 



From the West Indies, British Guiana, and Suri- 

 nam. Seeds and tubers collected by David Fair- 

 child and P. H. Dorsett, agricultural explorers, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, with the 1931-32 

 Allison V. Armour expedition. Received April 

 11, 1932. 



98518. Cocos nucifera L. Phoenicaceae. 



Coconut. 



No. 2724. Claret. Presented by S. H. Walter, 

 curator, Botanic Garden, St. Lucia, Windward 

 Islands, February 3, 1932. Seeds of a distinct 

 variety with claret-colored husk. This is ap- 

 parent only when the young coconut husk is cut. 



98516 to 98519— Continued. 



98517. Xanthosoma sp. Araceae. Yautia. 



No. 2908. Tubers purchased in the market at 

 Paramaribo, Surinam, March 2, 1932. 



98518. Dioscorea trifida L. f. Dioscoreaceae. 



Yampi. 



No. 3677. Bush yam. Presented February 29, 

 1932, by Mr. Collins, secretary of the British 

 Guiana Producers' Association in Georgetown, 

 British Guiana. This is the yam grown by the 

 Negroes of the interior. It is considered the best 

 one grown in the colony. 



98519. Xanthosoma caracu Koch and Bouche. 

 Araceae. Yautia. 



No. 3768. March 8, 1932. Tubers purchased in 

 the market at Castries, St. Lucia. Remarkable 

 for their large size and uniform shape. 



98520. Ananas sativus Schult. f. 

 Bromeliaceae. Pineapple. 



From Ceylon. Plants purchased from the manager 

 of the publication depot and central seed store, 

 Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya. Re- 

 ceived April 25, 1932. 



Mauritius. 



98521 to 98523. Phoenicaceae. Palm. 



From the West Indies and British Guiana. Seeds 

 collected by David Fairchild and P. H. Dorsett, 

 argicultural explorers, Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 with the 1931-32 Allison V. Armour expedition. 

 Received April 11, 1932. 



98521. Nypa fruticans Wurmb. 



Nipa palm. 



No. 2981. Presented March 23, 1932, by Pro- 

 fessor Dash, Department of Agriculture, George- 

 town, British Guiana. A very ornamental palm 

 with a stout creeping underground stem and pin- 

 nate leaves about 20 feet long in erect clusters. 

 The flat fruits, 5 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 

 2 inches thick, are crowded into a large round head 

 which is borne on a special erect stalk. The juice 

 obtained by cutting this stalk just below the fruit- 

 ing head is a promising source of sugar and alcohol. 

 The leaves are extensively used for thatching and 

 for making baskets and mats. 



98522. Mauritia flexuosa L. f. 



No. 3652. Collected in the Lamaha Savanna, 

 British Guiana, February 26, 1932. 



For previous introduction and description see 

 98514. 



98523. Mauritia setigera Griseb. and Wendl. 



No. 2929. From the Scarborough Botanic 

 Station, Tobago, February 19, 1932. A fan palm 

 60 feet high of magnificent proportions. Its 

 fruits are covered with polished brown overlap- 

 ping scales, are as large as hens' eggs, and very- 

 attractive. The tree was growing in acid soil 

 and will probably do well in soil in which there is 

 a considerable quantity of lime. 



98524 to 98536. Agropyron spp. 

 Poaceae. Wheatgrass. 



From the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 

 Seeds presented by N. Vavilov, Bureau of Intro- 

 duction, Leningrad. Received April 8, 1932. 



A collection of grasses to be tested by Depart- 

 ment specialists for resistance to drought. 



98524 and 98525. Agropyron cristatum (L.) 

 Gaertn. 



98524. No. 7027. From the Omsk Experiment 

 Station. 



98525. No. 9051. From the Saratov Institute 

 for the Study of Drought. 



98526. Agropyron elongatum (Host) Beauv. 



No. 9052. From the Saratov Institute for 

 Study of Drought. 



